The statue of Our Lady of Fatima in Mang Den (also known as the Statue of Our Lady of Mang Den or the Arm Amputated Mother) is a relic, a Catholic pilgrimage site of Kon Tum Diocese, located in Mang Den town, Kon Plong district, Kon Tum Province, next to National Highway 24, 53 km northeast of Kon Tum City.
The statue of Our Lady of Mang Den in 2010
Table of Contents
The statue of Our Lady of Mang Den
Origin
According to the documents of the Kon Tum Bishopric, and the report of the priest Joseph Nguyen Minh Kong, this is a statue carved after the statue of Our Lady of Fatima donated by priest Thomas Le Thanh Anh. The statue of Our Lady of Mang Den was carried by priest Kong to Mang Den outpost by helicopter (today, there are still traces of a very clear field airport, about 2 km from the statue’s location). The statue was erected on a simple pylon in mid-1971. In 1974, due to the fire of the Vietnam War, the Mang Den outpost was removed, the statue was also damaged more or less and abandoned deep in the jungle.
Our Lady is Forgotten
After the war, The statue of Our Lady of Mang Den was abandoned for a long time because there were no traffic routes and no residents living nearby. In the early 1980s, due to the influence of the policy of Building New Economic Zones of the Vietnamese government, some people living in Mang Canh Forest Enterprise discovered this statue, but did not pay special attention.
According to the record of priest Gioakim Nguyen Hoang Son, recording an exchange with Ms. Dao Thi Huong, who is said to have been instrumental in preserving the statue, until the beginning of 1987, the statue remained intact. However, at the end of 1987, the statue lost its head and arms, but the cause is unknown.
In 2002, the new Kon Plong District was formed from the division of the old Kon Plong District into the new Kon Plong District and Kon Ray District. The new Kon Plong District capital is located in Mang Den. Highway 24 is also planned to be extended to be used as the main traffic route across the district and as far as Mo Duc District, Quang Ngai Province. In 2004, when the construction of this road began, road builders saw the design accidentally passing through this statue’s location and adjusted the route to avoid harming the statue. Among the road builders was a Catholic named Hoang who worked hard to restore the head and hands. The first part is restored with a face that is no longer like the usual versions of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, but has the appearance of a woman in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. However, it is not clear why the hands cannot be restored. The restored hands fell at the foot of the statue. Therefore, The statue of Our Lady of Mang Den still has the shape of an amputee to this day. According to priest Phi Khanh Vuong Hoang Khoi, citing documents provided by the Kon Tum Bishopric, Father Gioakim Nguyen Hoang Son “found a part of the mother’s hand and part of the forefinger” on December 28. 2006 is currently kept at the Kon Tum Bishopric. Perhaps these are the rest of the restored hands.
The statue of Our Lady of Mang Den
After the war, The statue of Our Lady of Mang Den was abandoned for a long time because there were no traffic routes and no residents living nearby. In the early 1980s, due to the influence of the policy of Building New Economic Zones of the Vietnamese government, some people living in Mang Canh Forest Enterprise discovered this statue, but did not pay special attention.
According to the record of priest Gioakim Nguyen Hoang Son, recording an exchange with Ms. Dao Thi Huong, who is said to have been instrumental in preserving the statue, until the beginning of 1987, the statue remained intact. However, at the end of 1987, the statue lost its head and arms, but the cause is unknown.
In 2002, the new Kon Plong District was formed from the division of the old Kon Plong District into the new Kon Plong District and Kon Ray District. The new Kon Plong District capital is located in Mang Den. Highway 24 is also planned to be extended to be used as the main traffic route across the district and as far as Mo Duc District, Quang Ngai Province. In 2004, when the construction of this road began, road builders saw the design accidentally passing through this statue’s location and adjusted the route to avoid harming the statue. Among the road builders was a Catholic named Hoang who worked hard to restore the head and hands. The first part is restored with a face that is no longer like the usual versions of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, but has the appearance of a woman in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. However, it is not clear why the hands cannot be restored. The restored hands fell at the foot of the statue. Therefore, The statue of Our Lady of Mang Den still has the shape of an amputee to this day. According to priest Phi Khanh Vuong Hoang Khoi, citing documents provided by the Kon Tum Bishopric, Father Gioakim Nguyen Hoang Son “found a part of the mother’s hand and part of the forefinger” on December 28. 2006 is currently kept at the Kon Tum Bishopric. Perhaps these are the rest of the restored hands.
A place of Catholic pilgrimage
Until the end of August 2006, a Catholic believer named Lam, when passing here, accidentally heard about it, so he came to confirm the statue and informed the statue’s existence to the Kon Tum Bishopric. On December 28, 2006, a religious delegation led by Bishop Kon Tum Michael Hoang Duc Oanh visited the statue. One year later, on December 9, 2007, Bishop Hoang Duc Oanh and priests, and more than 2,000 civilians held a solemn ceremony to honor Our Lady here. Since then, this place has become a place of pilgrimage for parishioners in the Central Highlands and December 9 every year becomes the Pilgrimage Day of Our Lady of Mang Den of Kon Tum Diocese.
The statue of Our Lady of Mang Den is made of reinforced concrete, about 1 meter high. The statue is placed on a pedestal made of cement with natural pebbles. The body of the statue bears the shape of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, but the head is restored with the shape of a woman in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The hand part was restored many times, but later people kept the shape of the amputated hand. Many parishioners believe that with the shape of an amputee like this, it reminds me of the image of Our Lady of Mercy for unfortunate people suffering from diseases such as leprosy, HIV/AIDS. In the midst of the vast and dark forest landscape, surrounded by many flowers and rows of stone benches, with the signs “Thanks to Our Lady” brought by the parishioners, The statue of Our Lady of Mang Den appeared with a sacred mysterious look.
Since 2007, many parishioners have prayed here, forming a religious pilgrimage site in Mang Den. Hundreds of stone benches and under the statue pedestal are lined up with hundreds of small stone boards engraved with the words of thanksgiving for worshipers to pray for sacredness. On holidays, there are groups of pilgrims from far away to admire and worship, some are Christians, but also many people come just to pray for fortune, children, etc.
