Saint Dominic Vũ (Phan) Đức Trạch, a Dominican priest, was born in 1793 in the village of Ngoại Vối, Nam Định province (now part of Thạch Bi parish, Bùi Chu diocese). From a young age, he lived with the parish priest. During the reign of King Gia Long, he completed the full seminary program and was ordained a priest at age 30. The following year, he applied to enter the Dominican Order and made his profession on June 3, 1825.
Despite suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis, he continued to fast, practice mortification, and fulfill all his duties. He served as pastor of Quần Cống parish, then returned to Lục Thủy to recover his health and provide spiritual guidance to seminarians. In 1839, he was arrested in Ngọc Cục but was ransomed by the villagers. After that, he stayed at the homes of Mr. Lang Thiện and Mr. Trùm Bảo in Trà Lũ.
On April 11, 1840, while visiting Father Vinh and Father Thản in Ngưỡng Nhân, Father Trạch was arrested and taken to Xuân Trường district, then transferred to Nam Định. He was interrogated many times about Father Hermosilla – a Dominican aspirant, a Spanish missionary whom the mandarins believed to be the last one not yet captured. The mandarin promised to release him if he would step over the Cross. Father said to the mandarin: "Sir, if you desire eternal life, please venerate this Cross."
The governor-general became enraged and attacked him. Soldiers took the two ends of the cangue and carried Father over the Cross, but he drew up his legs, absolutely refusing to step on the Cross.
On September 18, 1840, the death sentence, endorsed in red by King Minh Mạng, arrived in Nam Định. The mandarin offered him one last chance for a pardon if he would step over the Cross, but Father refused.
When led to the execution ground, he joyfully bid farewell to Father Nguyễn Ngân and Father Nguyễn Đình Nghi, who were imprisoned with him in the same cell: "May both fathers rest in peace. I go to receive my reward first; soon we shall meet again in the Kingdom of Heaven."
Father Trạch was beheaded at the Bảy Mẫu execution ground on September 18, 1840. His remains were brought back by the faithful and buried at Lục Thủy Seminary.
Father Dominic Vũ (Phan) Đức Trạch was beatified on May 27, 1900, and canonized 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.