Saint Dominic Nguyen Duc Mao (1818-1862) - Vietnamese Martyr Saint

Dominic Nguyen Duc Mao was born in 1818 in Phu Yen, Ngoc Cuc, Vietnam. He was a lay Catholic who was martyred for his faith. He was beheaded on June 16, 1862, in Lang Coc under the reign of Emperor Tu Duc. He was executed along with four other martyrs: Andrew Tuong, Vincent Tuong, Dominic Nguyen, and Dominic Nhi.

On April 29, 1951, Pope Pius XII beatified the five martyrs. On June 19, 1988, Pope John Paul II canonized them as saints. The Catholic Church celebrates their feast day on June 16 of each year.

Their Destinies Were Intertwined

During the reign of Emperor Tu Duc, there were 13 Catholic parishes in 9 villages in the Luu Thuy region of Nam Dinh province, in the Trung Dang Ngoài diocese. Of these, the village of Ngoc Cuc had two parishes: Ngoc Cuc (celebrating the Feast of the Annunciation) and Phu Yen (celebrating the Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul).

The three men, Andrew Tuong (1812), Vincent Tuong (1814), and Dominic Nguyen Duc Mao (1818), belonged to the Phu Yen parish. Andrew Tuong and Vincent Tuong were brothers, the sons of Dominic Tien (the head of the parish) and Maria Guong. Although Andrew was two years younger than his brother, he held the position of Chief Catechist. Dominic Mao was the son of Dominic Gioi (the village chief) and Maria Nhien. When he was arrested, he was 44 years old and was the village security chief.

The two men, Dominic Nguyen (1800) and Dominic Nhi (1822), belonged to the Ngoc Cuc parish. Dominic Nguyen was the son of Dominic Due (the village chief) and was the head of the Luu Thuy parish when he was arrested. His son, Dominic Trinh (35 years old), was also arrested and martyred one day after him. Dominic Nhi was the son of Dominic Vuong and Catherine Van, and was the youngest member of the group (22 years old).

All five men were married and were well-to-do Catholic farmers who were kind and respected by the villagers. Dominic Nguyen was a doctor and often practiced charity, even to non-Catholics. It is not clear whether the men knew each other before they were arrested. However, with their similar statuses, they became the first targets of the Edict of Dispersion issued by Emperor Tu Duc on May 5, 1861.

The edict had five main points: to disperse Catholic villages, to merge parishes with non-Catholic villages, to confiscate the land and property of Catholics, to tattoo the word "Christian" on the cheeks of Catholics, and to hand over Catholics to the local authorities for supervision. In this context, the men were arrested on September 14, 1861. Despite being forced to trample on the Cross, they remained steadfast in their Catholic faith. The angry officials exiled them to the village of Bach Cuc in Vu Ban district to be beheaded.

Imprisonment and Witness

After seven and a half months of imprisonment, with their hands and feet shackled, heavy shackles around their necks, and enduring countless painful beatings, the five heroes of faith remained steadfast in their Catholic faith. According to the Edict of Dispersion, the officials used red-hot iron rods to engrave words on the faces of the witnesses of God - "Apostate" on the right and the name of the village on the left. The pain and humiliation that they endured cannot be described. They were in pain from the excruciating wounds and humiliated by being marked with the contempt of their faith. But they continued to endure patiently, as long as their souls could be faithful to God.

In order to be supported by God, each day they gathered to pray, recite the Rosary, and together offer to God their absolute confession of faith, entrusting their lives to the will of God. It was through these fervent prayers that they were able to find the strength and courage to overcome all dangers and challenges. In addition, they also repented their sins and fasted three days a week in preparation for receiving the grace of martyrdom.

In a letter dated August 2, 1862, Father Estévez Nam described the state of religious persecution in Nam Dinh at that time as follows: Catholics were expelled from their homes, forced to join the army five at a time, and allowed to bring only enough rice to eat for two days... 300 Catholics were imprisoned, not given food, so within a few days, 240 people died of starvation, the rest were dying... On May 18, Governor Nguyen Dinh Tan ordered the beheading of 21 people, on the 22nd beheaded 43, on the 26th beheaded 67... On May 30, 112 people were tied up and thrown into the river, the next day another 112 people... The district officials also followed suit. Hundreds of Catholics were beheaded, burned alive, or tied up in pairs and thrown into wells to die...

As for the five main martyrs in the story, the officials were still trying to persuade them. On June 15, 1862, the officials again asked them to trample on the Cross, but they refused. The officials then ordered them to be tied up all day without food or water. The next morning, the officials used sweet words to persuade them to renounce their faith, but Mr. Mao spoke on their behalf: "Please do not tempt us. If we had renounced our faith for fear of suffering, we would have done so from the beginning, and we would not have had to suffer here. Now, do as you please, we will never renounce our faith."

Embracing Glorious Martyrdom

Enraged by their unwavering words, the official ordered the immediate execution of the five faithful servants of God. The soldiers led them to the execution ground in Bach Cuc village, Nam Dinh province. The witnesses prayed, entrusting their souls to God and asking for His strength to face the final challenge. Indeed, they showed extraordinary courage. Except for Dominic Nhi, the other four asked to be beheaded three times instead of once to show their reverence for the Holy Trinity.

On June 16, 1862, the five heroes of faith were martyred at the execution ground. Their bodies were buried at the place of martyrdom, and the following year they were brought back to be buried in their hometown church.

On April 29, 1951, Pope Pius XII beatified them. On June 19, 1988, Pope John Paul II canonized them as saints.