Chacas, Peru — The road to this remote town in the Andes mountains is long, windy and as scenic as any in South America. Misty clouds obscure the occasional glacier, and it’s hard not to be awestruck by the snow-capped peaks and waterfalls feeding into the valleys below.
For a group traveling on behalf of the Diocese of Orange, the 13-hour drive to Chacas from Peru’s capital in late February was a final chapter toward completing the Marian Gardens at the Christ Cathedral campus. They made the trek to inspect the progress of sacred art planned for the gardens: mosaics, fusion glass, stained glass, copper carvings and limestone carvings. For the past year, the works have been skillfully and painstakingly made by Peruvian craftsmen from Artesanos Don Bosco, a Peruvian nonprofit.
Representatives from Don Bosco showed Fr. Christopher Pham of Blessed Sacrament parish and Fr. Quang Chu of St. Mary’s by the Sea (both original members of the Christ Cathedral’s Our Lady of La Vang Shrine project committee) how the Marian Gardens art was coming along. Joining them was David Pfeifer, the garden’s architect from San Diego-based Domusstudio, and Elysabeth Nguyen, chief executive of the OLLV Foundation, which manages and fundraises for the project on behalf of the Diocese.
The Marian Gardens will be located by the cathedral campus’ La Vang shrine, though it will retain a distinct identity and feel from the shrine and its 12-foot tall Virgin Mary statue. The gardens’ four sections represent Marian mysteries: Joyous, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious.
ELYSABETH NGUYEN, RIGHT, AND FR. CHRISTOPHER PHAM, LEFT, LOOK AT THE PROGRESS BEING MADE ON MOSAICS THAT ARE GOING INTO THE MARIAN GARDENS PROJECT AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL. NGUYEN IS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE OLLV FOUNDATION, WHICH IS FUNDRAISING AND MANAGING THE GARDENS PROJECT ON BEHALF OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE
A second area reminiscent of the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was arrested before his crucifixion, is also being built.
The Marian Gardens and Garden of Gethsemane will be finished in mid-May, with a public blessing with Bishop Kevin Vann planned for May 29.
INTRICATE DETAILS ARE SEEN IN A MOSAIC BEING MADE BY THE NONPROFIT ARTESANOS DON BOSCO IN CHACAS, PERU, A REMOTE VILLAGE IN THE ANDES MOUNTAINS. PHOTOS BY BRADLEY ZINT/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
In the prior months, a world away at Christ Cathedral, the Diocese had seen the Don Bosco work through pictures and Zoom sessions. Now, the team got to view it in person: artisans carefully tapping chisels into copper and grinding tools that transformed botticino limestone into biblical scenes. They learned how fusion glass is made from molds, and how it can take a few tries to get it just right.
“I never expected this,” said Fr. Christopher, the clatter of Don Bosco’s Chacas workshop going off around him. “We can now see the place where they make it all. You can tell it’s a lot of work, a lot of labor. You can see the hands; it’s not just one person. It’s piece by piece. It feels spiritual, touching.”
A WORKER WITH ARESTANOS DON BOSCO IN JANGAS, PERU, MAKES A CARVING FROM ITALIAN BOTTICINO LIMESTONE THAT WILL BE INSTALLED LATER THIS YEAR IN THE MARIAN GARDENS BEING BUILT AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL IN GARDEN GROVE.
Andres Romero, who’s been with Don Bosco for five years, was working on a mosaic for the Marian Gardens. By hand, one by one, he carefully chose, cut and then placed the colorful pieces — the effect resembling a jigsaw puzzle diligently taking shape.
“I feel very proud, very enthusiastic,” he said in Spanish of his work. Nguyen said her group was “blown away” by the quality of the art thus far. “But we’re also really internalizing the fact that through our work, we are now indirectly helping Don Bosco to create jobs and a place for these young people,” she added. “That, for us, was an extra bonus. We didn’t expect it. It really touched our hearts to see these people working on our garden. And they’re happy doing it, because it’s a place of God.”
Nguyen said the Marian Gardens committee purposefully chose art from around the world. In addition to the Peruvian pieces, statues from Italy are planned.
“God’s house should be built by all his people, not just Orange County,” she said. “And the fact that we sort of accidentally got involved with Peru, we’re very fortunate. It gives us a window to another life, another world we didn’t know.”
In addition to visiting Don Bosco workshops, the group met with Chacas’ parish — San Martín Papa — local school children and teachers. During a goodbye dinner, the Italian expats working for the parish sang the Italian national anthem, which soon segued into the Peruvian children singing their own anthem loud and proud. At the church’s request, Fr. Christopher and Fr. Quang sang the Vietnamese national anthem — a likely first for this remote region of Peru — and America’s anthem.
Fr. Christopher then shared his personal journey of faith seeing the Virgin Mary when he was 5. Fr. Quang also explained the story of Our Lady of La Vang, the 1798 Marian apparition in Vietnam that serves as the basis for Christ Cathedral’s La Vang shrine.
Pfeifer, the Marian Gardens architect, felt touched by the entire scene of vibrant Catholic faith.
“Mi corazón está lleno” — “My heart is full” — he said to the room of children and teachers as they waved the group from California goodbye.