Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon occupies a prime location in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was constructed between 1863 and 1880 as a smaller version of Notre-Dame de Paris. The bell towers were added in 1895. In 1959, a granite statue of the Virgin Mary was made in Rome and installed outside the church.
The Virgin Mary statue became famous in 2005. On October 29, several witnesses swore the statue shed a tear that streaked down the Virgin’s right cheek, staining her granite visage. The stain remained for over a week. When word spread, thousands flocked to the cathedral to see the miracle. Traffic ground to a halt all around the cathedral and police were required to maintain order.
No miracle was confirmed by the Catholic Church in Vietnam, which was unable to verify that the statue of the Virgin Mary had indeed shed any tears.