Saint Alonso Leciniana - Dau (1787 - 1840) - Vietnamese Martyr Saint

Saint Alonso Leciniana was born on October 26, 1702 in Spain. He joined the Dominican Order and made his solemn profession in 1723. He was ordained a priest at the age of 25, in 1727. In November 1730, 25 young Dominican priests, including Fr. Alonso Leciniana, landed at the port of Manila. Fr. Alonso Leciniana was then assigned to evangelize in the Diocese of Dong Dang Ngoai of Vietnam.

Father learned Vietnamese and received the Vietnamese name Dau. Due to the lack of personnel while the diocese was vast, he had to move his pastoral ministry to many places in districts such as Kim Dong, Tien Lu, Than Khe (Hung Yen), Vu Tien (Thai Binh).

When the father was staying in the house of a village chief in Do village, a lapsed believer reported him to the mandarin soldiers. On November 29, 1743, the soldiers surrounded the chief's house while the father was celebrating Mass in Luc Thuy. The father embraced the Holy Eucharist and tried to flee but was caught and beaten.

At the place of detention, before the interrogation of the mandarin, Father Dau answered calmly: "I have the duty to preach the law of God, which is holy and true... I preach the law of the Lord who reigns in heaven, advising the people to live uprightly, practice virtue and avoid the path of iniquity."

Thanks to the intervention of a sympathetic mandarin, the father was transferred to the Eastern prison to be imprisoned together with Fr. Gil de Federich. The two fathers had many opportunities to encourage and support each other to endure, especially to confess and offer Mass together. In 1744 alone, Father Dau baptized 33 new converts and heard 620 confessions.

On January 22, 1745, the witness of faith was beheaded at the Dong Mo court under Lord Trinh Doanh. The remains of the faithful servant were buried at the Luc Thuy Seminary.

Father Alonso Leciniana Dau was beatified on May 20, 1906 and canonized on June 19, 1988.