Saint Vincent Nguyen Manh Tuong (1814 - 1862) - Vietnamese Martyr Saint

Saint Vincent Nguyen Manh Tuong was born in 1814 in Phu Yen village, Ngoc Cuc hamlet, Nam Dinh province (now Ngoc Tien parish, Bui Chu diocese). His parents were Mr. Daminh Tien, chief of the village, and Mrs. Maria Guong.

Mr. Tuong married and led an exemplary Catholic life of piety and virtue. When he was arrested, Mr. Tuong was the chief of the village and was greatly loved and respected by the villagers.

Just one month after King Tu Duc issued the decree to trample on the cross, on September 14, 1861, the Xuân Trường chief magistrate applied the regulations in that decree, forcing the martyrs Nguyen Manh Tuong, Nguyen Manh Tuong, Nguyen Duc Mao, Nguyen Huy Nguyen and Nguyen Duc Nhi to trample on the image of the cross and renounce the Catholic faith.

However, all the prisoners steadfastly endured every punishment like whipping, torture, hunger, thirst, stocks, chains, etc. to affirm their faith in Christ. Angry at this indomitable spirit, the chief magistrate exiled the 5 people to Bach Coc village, Vu Ban district, Nam Dinh.

On June 15, 1862, the mandarins ordered Mr. Tuong to trample on the Cross but the former village chief remained steadfastly loyal to the Lord. Therefore, Mr. Tuong was sentenced to beheading on June 16, 1862 at Bach Coc execution ground, under the reign of King Tu Duc.

The martyr Vincent Nguyen Manh Tuong was beatified on April 29, 1951 and canonized on June 19, 1988.

Fates intertwined

Under the reign of King Tu Duc, in the Luc Thuy region in Nam Dinh province that belonged to the Northern Tongking diocese, there were 13 Catholic parishes spread over 9 villages and communes. Within this, Ngoc Cuc village contained 2 parishes - Ngoc Cuc (patron feast: Feast of the Annunciation) and Phu Yen (patron feast: Feast of St. Vincent).

Three men -  Andre Tuong (1812), Vinh Son Tuong (1814) and Da Minh Nguyen Duc Mao (1818) belonged to Phu Yen parish. Andre Tuong and Vinh Son Tuong were blood brothers, sons of Mr. Da Minh Tien (the village chief) and Mrs. Maria Guong. Although Mr. Tuong was 2 years younger than his brother, he was the Chief of Commune. Mr. Mao was the son of Mr. Da Minh Gioi (the village elder) and Mrs. Maria Nhien. At the time he was arrested, 44-year old Mr. Mao was the Vice Chief in charge of security and order in the village.

The two men Da Minh Nguyen (1800) and Da Minh Nhi (1822) belonged to Ngoc Cuc parish. Mr. Nguyen was the son of Mr. Da Minh Due (the village elder). When arrested, he was the Chief Administrative Officer of Luc Thuy. His son Da Minh Trinh (35 years old) was also arrested and martyred one day after him. Mr. Nhi was the son of Mr. Da Minh Vuong and Mrs. Catarina Van - the youngest in the group at 22 years of age.

All five men were married and rather well-off Catholic farmers, kind-hearted and respected by fellow villagers. Thanks to his medical skills, Mr. Nguyen often practiced Catholic charity, caring for non-Catholic brothers as well. It is not known if they had known each other before being arrested. But with their similar status, they became the first targets of the royal decree to trample on holy objects that King Tu Duc issued on May 5, 1861.

This decree contained 5 points:  dispersing Catholic villages, merging parishes into non-Catholic villages, confiscating lands owned by Catholics, inscribing words of faith on their faces, and entrusting Catholics to civilians for supervision. Against this backdrop, the men were arrested on September 14, 1861. Despite being forced to trample the Cross, they steadfastly upheld their Catholic faith. Enraged, the chief magistrate exiled them to Bach Cuc village, Vu Ban district for beheading.

Imprisonment and testimony

After seven and a half months imprisoned in shackles and heavy wooden cangues, enduring countless painful lashes, the five heroes of faith remained steadfast in their Catholic beliefs. According to the decree to trample on holy objects, the guards used red-hot iron rods to engrave words on the martyrs’ faces - “Left religion” on the right, and their village names on the left. It is impossible to fully convey the pain and humiliation they had to endure - painful from the stinging wounds, humiliating from being branded with marks of disdain for their faith. But they patiently persevered so that their souls could remain loyal to the Lord.

To gain the Lord’s support, every day they gathered to pray, recite the Rosary, and together offered the Lord their absolute profession of faith, entrusting their lives to His holy will. It was precisely through those ardent prayers that they gained the strength and courage to overcome all dangers and trials. Additionally, they confessed their sins to each other, and fasted three days each week to prepare themselves to receive the grace of martyrdom.

In his letter dated August 2, 1862, Father Estevez Nam described the state of religious persecution in Nam Dinh at that time as follows: Catholic followers were expelled from their homes, captured in groups of five to serve as soldiers, only allowed to bring enough rice for two days... 300 Catholics were imprisoned without food rations so within a few days, 240 had starved to death, the rest on their deathbeds... On May 18, Governor Nguyen Dinh Tan ordered 21 people beheaded, on the 22nd 43 people, on the 26th 67 people... On May 30, 112 people were bound and thrown into the river, the next day another 112 people...District mandarins did the same. Hundreds of Catholics were beheaded, burned alive, or bound in pairs and thrown into wells until dead...

Specifically for the 5 main martyrs in this story, the magistrates still tried to persuade them. On June 15, 1862, the mandarins asked them to trample the Cross but were refused. They were then tied up all day without food or water. The next morning, the magistrates gently cajoled them to renounce their faith, but Mr. Mao replied on their behalf: “Please do not try to persuade us. If we feared suffering and abandoned our faith, we would have done so from the beginning, and would not have had to endure misery here. Now, do what you will, but we will never abandon our religion."

Receiving glorious blessings

Enraged by their resolute words, the mandarins immediately ordered the execution of the five loyal servants of God. The soldiers brought them to the execution ground in Bach Coc village, Nam Dinh province. The martyrs prayed, entrusted their souls to God and asked Him for the strength to face the final trial. Indeed, they showed extraordinary courage. Except for Mr. Da Minh Nhi, the other four asked to be beheaded in three strikes instead of one to honor the Holy Trinity.

On June 16, 1862, the five heroic martyrs sacrificed themselves at the execution ground. Their remains were buried at the place of martyrdom, then a year later moved back and interred in their home parish church.

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