Saint Jacob Do Mai Nam (1781 - 1838) - Vietnamese Martyr Saint

Jacob Do Mai Nam was born in 1781 in Dong Bien village, Vinh Loc district, Thanh Hoa province. His name in the village register during the Tay Son era was Mai Ngu. His father Nam was ordained a priest at the age of 32.

From a young age, Jacob Nam lived in the Common House, and later studied at the Ke Vinh Seminary under Bishop Jacques Benjamin Longer. When he became a teacher, he was assigned to stay and help at the seminary. During the day, he cared for the sick, and in the evening taught children in Ke Vinh village. After some time, his superiors sent him to study at the Major Seminary, and then ordained him a priest at age 32, assigning him to help in various parishes.

Father Jacob Nam was a gentle, amiable person. He diligently recited prayers, prayed the rosary, and had compassion for the poor, often helping them with food, clothing, and medicine.

Around the mid-Minh Mang era, due to the ban on Catholicism, his superiors sent Father Nam back to the Ke Vinh Common House. 2-3 years later, an edict banned Catholicism, arrested church leaders, and destroyed churches and rectories. The Ke Vinh Common House was disbanded, so Father Nam had to hide at the home of Mr. Ton in Ke Nguoi village for 3-4 years. When the situation eased, he returned to the Ke Vinh Common House.

However, soon after he was hunted vigorously again, so he had to hide at the home of Mr. Dich in Ke Vinh. At this time, two men named Ti from Dong Mac and Xuan from Tieu Tuc Mac in Nam Dinh province reported his whereabouts to the Nam Dinh provincial governor Trinh Quang Khanh.

On the morning of May 11, 1838, the provincial governor came by boat to the Ke Vinh pier, sat at the village communal house, and demanded all residents 18 years and older report there. He also made the village chief sign a statement that if the priest and "Catholics" were caught, they would be punished. At this point, Father Nam was actually preparing to go cook for the governor and villagers, but was captured, tied up along with Mr. Dich, and brought before the governor at the communal house.

When faced with the governor, he straightforwardly admitted being a priest. The governor asked why he did not return home to farm instead of illegally preaching. He replied that he had never abandoned the cross. Afterwards, the governor ordered Father Nam, Mr. Dich and others to be shackled and taken downstream to Nam Dinh, where they were immediately imprisoned upon arrival.

On August 12, 1838, Father Jacob Nam, along with Mr. Dich and Mr. Ly, were beheaded at Bay Mau. Afterwards, the Common House built a tomb and hung a couplet to commemorate his virtues.

Father Jacob Do Mai Nam was beatified on May 27, 1900 and canonized a saint on June 19, 1988.