Saint Andrew Nguyen Kim Thong (1790-1855) - Vietnamese Martyr Saints

Andrew Nguyen Kim Thong, also known as Nam Thuong, was born in 1790 in Go Thi village, Binh Dinh province. He was a village chief and teacher who was passionate about the Catholic faith.

During the anti-Catholic persecutions, he was expelled from his village. While fleeing, he was captured and imprisoned. Due to exhaustion and starvation, he passed away in prison in My Tho on July 15, 1855.

In 1909, he was beatified by Pope Pius X. His feast day is July 15.

He was born into a virtuous Catholic family and received a Confucian education imbued with Gospel values.

He married and had nine children, two of whom entered religious life. His 8th son, Father Giuse Nguyen Kim Thu, was martyred for his faith. His youngest daughter, Anna Nguyen Thi Nhuong, became a nun.

Nguyen Kim Thong was known for his virtue and wisdom from a young age. He was soon appointed to leadership roles in the parish, and later commissioned by Bishop Cuenot The as district chief. He was respected by villagers, who called him "Village Elder" or "Chief Nam Thuong".

Nguyen Kim Thong helped clear forests for farming, for which the court rewarded him with a gold card and the title "Diligent Farmer."

With great zeal for the Church, Nguyen Kim Thong assisted Bishop Cuenot The in purchasing land, constructing churches and schools, and developing other facilities. He managed the diocese's finances and protected the bishop and priests during persecutions. His home sheltered priests travelling to the episcopal see in Go Thi. His family provided for all their needs. He tirelessly supported missionary efforts.

Nguyen Kim Thong had unshakable faith and was always ready to sacrifice his life for God's glory and others' salvation. He was especially compassionate toward the poor and marginalized. As a judge, he ruled justly then used his own money to help the poor who lost cases. He constantly encouraged virtue and deterred vice. Yet he firmly rebuked the unrepentant, including a violent nephew whose false accusations led to Nguyen Kim Thong's arrest in 1853.

Questioned by provincial mandarins, he calmly and confidently defended himself. Still imprisoned for three months, his final verdict from Hue ordered exile to Dinh Tuong (My Tho). En route, he fell gravely ill in Gia Dinh. Though offered escape, he accepted God's will. In Dinh Tuong, his health rapidly declined. On July 15, 1855, after invoking Jesus, Mary and Joseph, he died in shackles, aged 65.

Nguyen Kim Thong was beatified in 1909 by Pope Pius X, and canonized by Pope John Paul II.