He said: “I firmly refuse to trample on a holy image, because doing so would offend God and publicly renounce the faith.”
Saint Dominic Nguyễn Đức Nhi was born in 1822 in the parish of Ngọc Cục, phủ Xuân Trường, Nam Định province (now part of Ngọc Tiên parish, Bùi Chu diocese). He grew up in a large family, where his parents always took care to raise their children to live virtuously and to be charitable toward the poor, lonely, and unfortunate.
On September 14, 1861, Mr. Nhi was arrested at the age of exactly 40. He suffered beatings with rods and was imprisoned for four days in phủ Xuân Trường, then was sent into exile and imprisoned in the village of Bạch Cốc, Vụ Bản district. Even though his family and relatives came to visit and saw the harsh conditions of the prison, Mr. Nhi still trusted in God with all his heart.
Throughout nine months of captivity, he and the other prisoners of faith suffered physical torment: heavy cang (wooden locks) around their necks, their legs shackled at night, and the two characters “tả đạo” (heterodox sect) carved on their cheeks. Despite the deprivation, he still fasted three days each week. With his fellow prisoners of the same faith, he diligently prayed the prayers and recited the Rosary.
On June 15, 1862, the quan án (provincial judge) of Nam Định province personally came to Vụ Bản district to inspect and interrogate. He had a crucifix placed in the middle of the courthouse yard and ordered each Catholic prisoner to be called by name and forced to trample on it. Mr. Nhi and all the others firmly replied: “I firmly refuse to trample on a holy image, because doing so would offend God and publicly renounce the faith.” The quan án became enraged, ordered the prisoners’ hands and feet tied, and had them left exposed to the blazing summer sun until evening, then thrown back into prison.
The witness of faith Dominic Nguyễn Đức Nhi was sentenced to beheading on June 16, 1862, at the Bạch Cốc execution ground, during the reign of Emperor Tự Đức. His body was buried right at the place of execution; after the period of persecution ended, it was exhumed and reburied in the parish of Ngọc Cục.
He was beatified on April 29, 1951, and canonized on June 19, 1988, at the Holy See of Rome.
The content about the saint in this post is summarized and paraphrased from the book “Hạnh Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam” - Lives of the Vietnamese Martyrs (Vietnamese Bishops’ Conference, edited by Bishop Peter Nguyễn Văn Khảm, Tôn Giáo Publishing House, 2018). This post is not a verbatim copy but a re‑presentation based on the original source.