Saint Dominic Vu Dinh Tuoc (1775 - 1839) - Vietnamese Martyr Saint

Saint Dominic Vu Dinh Tuoc was born in 1775 in Trung Lao Village, Nam Dinh Province (now belonging to Trung Lao Parish, Bui Chu Diocese). He joined the Lord's house and continued his studies to be ordained a priest.

After being ordained a priest, Father Tuoc joined the Dominican Order and took his solemn vows on April 18, 1812. Bishop Delgado appointed him to take care of the Xuong Dien parish in the Diocese of Dong Dang Ngoai. From then on, Father Tuoc devotedly served the souls.

During the period of religious persecution, he often hid at Mr. Doai's or Mr. Thinh's house. On April 2, 1839, while Father Tuoc was celebrating Mass, he was surrounded, searched, and arrested by the mandarin Phan and his accomplices, and taken to Cam Ha. It should be added that Phan became a mandarin thanks to his merit of pointing out and accusing to arrest Bishop Henares.

When the parishioners heard the news, they planned to attack Phan's group to rescue their parish priest. The women carried bags full of ash to throw at them, while the men carried sticks and spears. Seeing this, Father Tuoc calmly advised: "Brothers and sisters, doing so will only cause my death." The headman and parishioners of Xuong Dien parish listened to the priest and remained calm.

In the chaos, Ngoc, Phan's henchman, drew a knife and struck Father Tuoc's head forcefully. The severe wound caused him to collapse to the ground. The perpetrators fled in panic.

Realizing his final moment was near, the priest asked the parishioners to pray silently. With his last breaths, he thanked God for allowing him to suffer for the faith, while urging the faithful to keep their faith firm. Due to the severe wound and excessive blood loss, he murmured an invocation of the Holy Name of Jesus before breathing his last. The priest's life Mass was completed. His martyr's remains were buried at the Xuong Dien Church.

Priest Dominic Vu Dinh Tuoc was beatified on May 27, 1900 and canonized on June 19, 1988.