“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Mt 16:25).
Saint Dominic Nguyễn Huy Nguyên was born in 1800 at Ngọc Cục parish, Nam Định province (now part of Ngọc Tiên parish, Bùi Chu diocese). He lived a virtuous, exemplary Catholic life in a well‑off family. Doing works of mercy and helping the poor, he was loved and respected by the villagers. Being a traditional doctor, he had many opportunities to practice charity as he interacted with all kinds of people, both Catholic and non‑Catholic.
On September 14, 1861, he was arrested while serving as village head (chánh trương) of Lục Thủy parish. The provincial governor of Xuân Trường ordered Mr. Nguyên the doctor to trample on the Holy Cross, but he resolutely refused to offend the Lord. The angry governor exiled him to Bạch Cốc village, Vụ Bản district, Nam Định province.
For more than seven months of imprisonment, with stocks and cang (wooden collar) around his neck, feet and hands in chains, beaten many times, and having the two characters “tả đạo” carved on his cheek, this hero of faith remained persevering, placing his complete trust in the Lord. To strengthen their spirit of fidelity, he and his fellow prisoners diligently prayed the Rosary, offered prayers, and made sacrifices. In addition, they helped one another to repent and fast three days each week to prepare to receive the grace of martyrdom. Through this, they found spiritual strength, resolve, and courage, overcoming all suffering and trials.
Together with Mr. Andrew (Anrê) Nguyễn Mạnh Tường, Vincent (Vinhsơn) Nguyễn Mạnh Tương, Dominic (Đaminh) Nguyễn Đức Mạo, and Dominic (Đaminh) Nguyễn Đức Nhi, the witness of faith – village head and traditional doctor Nguyễn Huy Nguyên – received the death sentence of beheading on June 16, 1862, at Bạch Cốc execution ground, Nam Định province, during the reign of King Tự Đức. The bodies of these men were buried right at the place of martyrdom, later exhumed and reburied in their home village.
Mr. village head Dominic Nguyễn Huy Nguyên was raised to the rank of Blessed on April 29, 1951, and was canonized as a saint on June 19, 1988.
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.