Saint Vihn Son Ðo Yen (St. Vincent Yen)

Today we remember St. Vincent Yen, one of the Martyrs of Vietnam, individually. The following is from Witnesses of the Faith in the Orient, Dominican Martyrs of Japan, China, and Vietnam translated by Sister Maria Maez, O.P.

This holy martyr was born in Tra-lu in the province of Nam-dinh in 1764. He was trained under the supervision of Bishop Ignatius Delgado, who ordained him a priest at the age of 40. He was appointed to the care of souls. His Calvary began right away. He was secretly denounced to the Mandarins, taken prisoner and made to carry a heavy cangue [yoke]. He spent a month in this condition until he was rescued by friends.

Vincent asked to be admitted to the Dominican Order and received the habit on 22 July 1807. His purity and considerate treatment of others was such that he won everyone’s respect. “His eyes, his whole facial expression was an eloquent testimony of his holiness.” Even the enemies who captured him remarked that they had taken a prisoner who “was a man with a most beautiful countenance.” It was no wonder that he was able to win over all those entrusted to his care.

Vincent was once again imprisoned on 8 June 1838; on the 11th, the Mandarins came together to judge him. The leading Mandarin, a good man of means and influence, resisted imposing the death sentence. He proposed to Father Yen to say that he was a doctor, not a priest. Vincent rejecterd this outright, saying: “I am not a doctor, I am a priest. My office is to offer sacrifices to God and to preach the faith of Jesus Christ for whom I am ready to die. I do not accept the offer for the price of a lie.” Seeing the constancy of the priest, they took the message to the Emperor, who dictated the sentence himself. “Do Yen, native of this Kingdom, principal teacher of the Religion of Jesus Christ, has followed a false religion and does not wish to abandon it. He is truly a dangerous fool and is deserving of suffering any abomination, because he does not wish to follow what he knows and what he should do. Let his head be cut off.”

The venerable old man of 74 walked erectly, calmly and with joy to his execution on 30 June 1838. He was beheaded for being a priest of the Religion and for teaching it to the people.

The Process of Beatification says that Vincent had a most gentle disposition, a happy face and limitless mercy, — that he was prudent, peaceful, very virtuous and that his life had been an edification to all.

St. Joseph Khang

Today the Dominicans remember St. Joseph Khang, one of the Martyrs of Vietnam.

Catechist Joseph (Nguyen-duy-) Khang was born in the year 1832 in the Christian community of Cao-mai in the district of Tra-vi, province of Thai-binh. At age 16, after his father died, he said goodbye to his mother and entered the House of God with the intention of studying for the priesthood. The tempest of persecution that arose against the Christians changed all his plans. All the colleges and seminaries were closed.

The fate of catechist Joseph Khang was the same that befell Bishop Jerome Hermosilla with whom he was taken prisoner. His fidelity and constancy were admirable since he could have escaped. Nonetheless, he preferred to remain at the side of his master. He stated: “If the Bishop dies for the faith, so will I.” For, as the Latin poet said: “There is nothing than can be disturbed in the soul of the just man who is tenacious in his purpose,” especially if his fidelity is founded on a supernatural life.

Joseph was cruelly whipped several times and subjected to other tortures but he never let out a groan nor did he get depressed. On the contrary, he was always happy and peaceful, carrying himself with utmost dignity. He exhorted all with whom he came into contact to love God and venerate Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to whom he had a special devotion. Joseph received the habit of a Lay Dominican and accompanied Bishop Hermosilla for three years. As the Vietnamese so aptly say: “He was the hands and feet of his master, Bishop Hermosilla.”

Joseph received the palm of martyrdom by decapitation on 6 December 1861, a few days after his beloved bishop was beheaded. His apostolate as a catechist and his martyrdom are an honor to all Lay Dominicans in Vietnam.

Martyrs of Vietnam

Today is the day set aside for all the martyrs of Vietnam in the last 500 years.
Even though 117 martyrs are named, there are over 100,000 up to the present day to be included. Dominicans, of course, are among the many from the Church's various orders that were martyred.

For an excellent blog article on the Vietnamese Martyrs, visit Unam Sanctan's 2007 article about the subject!

It is often quoted, "The earliest martyrs mentioned in written sources are the Spanish Dominicans Francisco Gil de Federich and Matthew Alonzo Lenziana, who arrived in the country about 1580."  However, this information is very likely incorrect since most other sources place Francisco Gil de Federich in the mid-18th century.

The tortures these individuals underwent were among the worst in the history of Christian martyrdom. The means included cutting off limbs joint by joint, ripping living bodies with red hot tongs, and use of drugs to enslave the minds of the victims. Christians at the time were branded on the face with the words ta dao (false religion) and families and villages which subscribed to Christianity were obliterated.

The 117 martyrs were beatified in four groups, the first of them on 27 May 1900 (Pope Leo XIII), the second (all Dominicans) on 20 May 1906, a third on 2 May 1909 (both by Pope Pius X) and the last (including two Spanish bishops) on 29 April 1951 (Pope Pius XII). They were canonised in Rome on 19 June 1988 by Pope John Paul II.


Dominican Bishops
St. Dominic Hanares (1765-Jun. 22, 1838)
St. Vincent Yen (1764-Jun. 30, 1838)
St. Ignatius Delgado (1761-Jul. 12, 1838)
St. Jerome Hermosilla (1800-Nov., 1 1861)
St. Valentine de Berrio-Ochoa (1827-Nov. 1, 1861)
St. Joseph Mary Diaz-Sanjurjo (1818-Jul. 20, 1857)
St. Melchior García Sampedro (1821-Jul. 28, 1858)

Dominican Priests
St. Vincent Liem (1731-Nov. 7)
St. Dominic Hanh (1772- Aug. 1, 1838)
St. Joseph Fernandez (1775-Jul. 15, 1838)
St. Peter Tu (1776-Sep. 5, 1838)
St. Dominic Tuoc (1775-Apr. 2, 1839)
St. Thomas Dou (1778-Nov. 26, 1839)
St. Dominic Xuyen (1786-Nov. 26, 1839)
St. Joseph Hien (1775-May 9, 1840)
St. Dominic Trach Doia (1792-Sep. 18, 1840)
St. Matthew Alonso Liciniana (1702 -Jan. 22, 1745)
St. Francis Gil de Federich (1702-Jan. 22, 1745)
St. Vincent Liem Le Duang (1731-Nov. 7, 1773)
St. Hyacinth Castañeda (1743 -Nov., 7 1773)
St. Peter Almató y Ribera (Nov. 1, 1830-Nov. 1, 1861)
St. Dominic Mau (1808-Nov. 5,1858)
St. Joseph Tuan (Van Tran) [OP priest] (1821-Apr. 4, 1861)

Lay Dominicans
St. Dominic An Kham (1799-March 11, 1859)
St. Joseph Uyen (1775-Jul. 4, 1838)
St. Joseph Canh (1963-Sep. 5, 1938)
St. Francis Xavier Mau (?-Dec. 19, 1839)
St. Dominic Yu (?-Dec. 19, 1839)
St. Thomas De (1810-Dec. 19, 1839)
St. Augustine Moi (1806-Dec. 19, 1839)
St. Stephen Vihn (1814?-Dec. 19, 1839)
St. Thomas Toan (1767-Jun. 27, 1840)
St. Joseph Khang (1832-Dec. 6, 1861)
St. Dominic An Kham (Pham Thong) (1799-Jan. 13, 1859)
St. Luke Cai Thin (Trong Pham) (1819-Jan. 13, 1859)
St. Joseph Cai Ta (Pham Thong) (1800-Jan. 13, 1859)

Dominican Tertiaries
St. Augustine Schoeffler (1822-May 1, 1851) priest, M.E.P.
St. Dominic Caam (An-Kham) (?-Mar. 11, 1859) priest
St. Thomas Khuong (1779-Jan. 30, 1860) priest

Saint Dominic Doan (Xuyen Van Nguyen)

Today was the original memorial (old Roman Calendar) of St. Dominic Doan Xuyen when he was beatified as a Blessed in 1900.   His memorial on the current Roman Calendar is November 26.  He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

He is one of the Vietnamese Martyrs, born in Tonkin;  died 1839;  He was a member of the Dominican order and was martryed by beheading with Blessed Thomas Du (a Benedictine).