Life and Missionary Work
Saint Ignacio Delgado - Y was born on November 23, 1762, in the village of Villafeliche, Saragozza province, Aragon region, Spain. Initially, he joined the Dominican Order of the Aragon Province and made his profession in 1781. However, letters from Father Alonsô - Phê regarding the mission in Vietnam ignited in Brother Delgado a strong desire for missionary work.
He requested a transfer to the Rosary Province, continued his theological studies in Manila (Philippines), and was ordained a priest in 1787. After two years of arduous travel, Father Delgado, along with three other brothers, arrived in Vietnam in 1790.
There, Father Delgado was assigned to oversee the seminary for two years, after which he assumed the role of Vicar General of the diocese and provincial representative. Upon the recommendation of Bishop Alonsô - Phê, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop on February 11, 1794, and was officially consecrated in September of the following year.
Caring for the Flock and Strengthening the Diocese
In 1799, Bishop Phê passed away, leaving Bishop Delgado - Y to solely bear the responsibility of managing the diocese. Four years later, this duty was shared with the new Coadjutor Bishop Henares - Minh. Despite the difficult terrain, the two bishops did not hesitate to travel thousands of kilometers along trails, dykes, through forests, and over mountains to visit every parish and congregation.
Taking advantage of the period of peace, Bishop Delgado focused on strengthening the diocese. He reestablished the seminaries of Ninh Cường, Lục Thủy, Tiên Chu, and Ngọc Đồng. Thanks to his efforts, the faithful attended daily prayers and Mass, studied catechism thoroughly, and lived their faith more devoutly. The solemn ceremonies at the parishes attracted many people to explore the faith; within ten years, more than 10,000 adults requested to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.
The Final Days and Steadfastness
In 1838, an incident occurred when letters from Father Viên sent to the missionaries were discovered. Under pressure from the court and the instigation of Governor Trịnh Quang Khanh, the seminaries and churches were forced to be dismantled, and seminarians and nuns had to return to their families. The missionaries temporarily took refuge in Kiên Lao village, but due to the betrayal by teacher Hy, both bishops were subsequently arrested.
Bishop Delgado was imprisoned in a wooden cage with iron bars covering all four sides, leaving only a small hole at the top for passing food. An official once urged him: “You have been captured; you can commit suicide as other brave people usually do.” The bishop firmly replied: “We are not allowed to commit suicide, as it is a grave sin. But if for the sake of the faith, the mandarin orders my execution, I will be extremely joyful.”
On the noon of May 30, the bishop’s cage was escorted from Xuân Trường district to Nam Định to meet Governor Trịnh Quang Khanh. The scene resembled a festival, with nearly 2,000 soldiers, flags covering the sky, and resounding gongs and drums.
On June 14, Trịnh Quang Khanh sent the verdict to the court. King Minh Mạng hesitated because he wanted to force the missionary to admit to the charge of “espionage.” The bishop affirmed: “I have been in An Nam for 48 years; I have documents from the Late Emperor (Gia Long) permitting me to preach the faith.” He also frequently stated: “You do not yet know about the religion of Jesus Christ; if you knew, you would surely follow it.”
For 43 days imprisoned in a cage placed outside the city gate, the bishop endured intense heat during the day and cold wind and dew at night. When the second verdict was approved by the king, it had not yet reached Nam Định when the bishop, exhausted by old age (76 years old), illness, and harsh prison conditions, passed away in the Lord on July 12, 1838.
Soldiers even used oil-soaked cloth wrapped around his toes and set it on fire to check if he was truly dead. However, the mandarin still ordered: “Carry out everything as stated in the verdict, so that everyone knows how severe his crime is.” The bishop’s body was carried to the Bảy Mẫu execution ground, taken out of the cage, and beheaded.
Legacy and Glory
The martyr’s body was secretly buried by the faithful at a destroyed church in Bùi Chu. His head was displayed in public for three days before being thrown into the Vị Hoàng river. Three months later, a fisherman retrieved it and brought it back to be buried together with his body.
Bishop Ignacio Delgado - Y was venerated as Blessed on May 27, 1900, and was officially canonized as a Saint on June 19, 1988.
The content about the saint in this post is summarized and paraphrased from the book “Hạnh Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam” - Lives of the Vietnamese Martyrs (Vietnamese Bishops’ Conference, edited by Bishop Peter Nguyễn Văn Khảm, Tôn Giáo Publishing House, 2018). This post is not a verbatim copy but a re‑presentation based on the original source.