Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Notre Dame, the Cathedral of the Diocese of Ho Chi Minh City

Notre Dame Cathedral, site of a purported miracle in Vietnam's biggest city

I'm a sucker for a good miracle, and Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is famous for something really special.

Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Notre Dame of Saigon is officially the "Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Saigon", but that's too much of a mouthful to say. The beautiful old Romanesque cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City, and serves the substantial Catholic demographic of southern Vietnam.

Like St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hanoi, Notre Dame was constructed by the French colonial government of Indochina. The church was built in 1863 and recognized as a basilica by Pope John XXIII in 1960.

the weeping Regina Pacis 

Though the cathedral has long been famous for its beautiful stained glass windows, in 2007, a purported miracle gave it a second claim to fame. Before hundreds of witnesses, the statue of St. Mary Regina Pacis began to weep, tears trickling down her face from her right eye. People came from all over the world to see the statue, many believing it to be a miracle, although it has not been confirmed by the Vatican.

the cathedral in Ho Chi Mihn City undergoing restoration 

At the time of writing (2019), the cathedral is currently closed due to ongoing restoration work. Restoration of Notre Dame of Saigon is projected to be finished by 2020, at which time I hope to go back to visit in order to see the famous stained glass for myself.

Getting to Notre Dame Cathedral

The cathedral is conveniently located close to Saigon Square and the Saigon government offices.