“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” (Mt 7:12)
Saint Dominic Nguyễn Văn Cẩm was born in 1810 in Cẩm Giàng village (also known as Cẩm Chương), belonging to Kẻ Roi parish, Bắc Ninh province. Later, he moved with his family to his mother’s hometown in Lai Tê parish, within the Diocese of Bắc Ninh.
From an early age, thanks to his sharp intelligence, young Dominic was admitted to the seminary and was later ordained a priest. After becoming a priest, Father Cẩm chose to live according to the spirituality of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. He was known for his zeal in apostolic activities, especially in promoting devotion to the Rosary, which earned him the affection of his superiors and the faithful.
Although his hometown was in Bắc Ninh, part of the Eastern Vicariate, Father Cẩm voluntarily requested to serve in the Central Vicariate. The reason was that the number of Catholic faithful there was three times greater than elsewhere, creating a significant pastoral need. When religious persecution became severe, for the benefit of his flock, he frequently moved from place to place. With a spirit of sacrifice, he was ready to go wherever his mission required, even knowing he might face the risk of arrest.
In early 1859, the persecution intensified. While carrying out his pastoral duties in Hà Lan hamlet, Father Cẩm was discovered and reported to the authorities. Those who reported him were not motivated by personal hatred, but by the desire to receive a substantial reward. On January 21, 1859, he was arrested and taken to Hưng Yên province.
Before the court of the provincial governor, Father Cẩm boldly identified himself as a religious leader. He accepted all forms of torture and whipping but firmly refused to trample on the Cross. Seeing that he could not shake the priest’s steadfast faith, the official ordered him confined in a narrow, cramped cage for many months.
During his imprisonment, with his kind heart, Father Cẩm won over the jailers and guards. They allowed the faithful to visit him regularly. Thanks to this, he maintained correspondence with Bishop Valentinô - Vinh, the diocesan bishop. He expressed to the Bishop his absolute fidelity to Christ and his strong desire for the grace of martyrdom. In response, Bishop Valentinô - Vinh sent Father Hương to visit him and administer the sacraments.
Upon receiving news of his death sentence by beheading, Father Cẩm was not afraid; on the contrary, he could not hide his happiness at being about to offer his life to God. The sentence was carried out on March 11, 1859, at the Ba Tòa execution ground in Hưng Yên province, during the reign of King Tự Đức. His body was buried at Lai Tê parish, Diocese of Bắc Ninh. Today, the saint’s relics are still preserved and venerated in this church.
Priest Dominic Nguyễn Văn Cẩm was beatified on April 29, 1951, and officially canonized 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.