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Acting under the mandate of the Holy See, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization, presided over the beatification Mass on July 2.

Also attending were Archbishop Marek Zalewski, the Resident Representative of the Holy See in Vietnam; representatives of the Archdioceses of Hanoi, Saigon and Hue; delegates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand; and representatives of the Diocese of Vientiane in Laos.

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Pilgrims and Catholic faithful from across Vietnam stayed overnight to secure places for the historic liturgy.
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The ceremony marked the first time in nearly 500 years since Catholicism was introduced to Vietnam that a beatification Mass has been celebrated in the country rather than at the Vatican.
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Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle led the entrance procession into the liturgical celebration.

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The concelebration procession, led by the Cardinal and bishops, made its way to the outdoor altar set up on the grounds opposite Tac Say Church.
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Among the distinguished guests were Nguyen Hai Trung, Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs; leaders of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs under the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs; officials from several localities; leaders of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee; representatives of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam; and representatives of other religious communities.
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The Mass venue welcomed a large number of delegates and participants.
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Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle officiated the beatification rite for Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep during the ceremony at the Tac Say Pilgrimage Center on the morning of July 2.
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According to the organizing committee, approximately 1,800 priests attended the Mass.
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Large LED screens were installed to accommodate the crowds of Catholic faithful and pilgrims following the ceremony.
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The Tac Say Pilgrimage Center was filled with tens of thousands of pilgrims arriving from provinces across Vietnam for the principal beatification Mass honoring Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep.

Tao Dat