Saint Paul Tran Van Hanh (1827 - 1859) - Vietnamese Martyr Saint

Saint Paul Tran Van Hanh was born in 1827 in Tan Trieu village, Bien Hoa. Due to the anti-Catholic edict issued by King Minh Mang on January 6, 1833, Saint Hanh's family had to flee to Cho Quan parish to avoid persecution.

In that chaotic context, with his fearless and courageous character, Saint Hanh became a ruffian in the underworld. At that time, rumors spread about him in an unfavorable way. He associated with swindlers and bullies who oppressed the weak. However, the Catholic faith he had received since his youth continued to grow stronger in his heart.

One day, Saint Hanh came across a group of ruffians harassing a young girl. He intervened righteously, rescued the girl and forced the ruffians to return the stolen property. From then on, they became his enemies and sought revenge. Knowing that Saint Hanh was Catholic, they accused him to the authorities.

Saint Hanh was arrested, tortured and falsely accused of treason against the West. He firmly denied the charge, only admitting that he was Catholic. The mandarin ordered him to be brutally tortured, forcing him to confess to treason and trample on the Cross, but the torture could not shake his faith. He steadfastly professed: "I am a Christian. I will never renounce my faith."

Seeing his unwavering courage, the mandarin ordered Saint Hanh to be executed. On May 28, 1859, at the age of 32, he was executed in Chi Hoa under King Tu Duc's reign for the crime of being a faithful Catholic.

Saint Paul Tran Van Hanh, a witness of steadfast faith, was declared Venerable on February 13, 1879, beatified on May 27, 1909 and finally canonized on June 19, 1988.