People recall Saint John the Baptist Đinh Văn Thanh not only because he is a martyr saint, but also because of his faithful perseverance and absolute virtue of obedience.
He was born in 1796 in Nộn Khê village, Hảo Nho parish, Ninh Bình province (now part of Quảng Phúc parish, Phát Diệm diocese). His family originally did not practice the faith. It was not until he was eighteen years old that he converted and received the Sacrament of Baptism in Phúc Nhạc village.
After becoming a catechist (thầy giảng), he was sent by his superiors to assist Father Khoan in Phúc Nhạc parish. In his role overseeing the Đông Biên mission station, Catechist Thanh was regarded by Father Khoan as a meticulous, diligent person with a unique talent.
On August 24, 1837, Catechist Thanh was arrested at Đông Biên along with Father Khoan and Catechist Hiếu. All three were transferred to Ninh Bình province. Before the mandarins, he always maintained humility, letting Father Khoan speak first before he would speak in agreement. His profession before the court was steadfast: “I am the servant of the religious leader; whatever he decides, I will decide the same. If the mandarin shows mercy, I will live; if the mandarin wants to force me to abandon the faith, I am willing to die. As for the faith, I will not abandon it.”
Although he was beaten, he did not cry out a single word. He was then placed in cangue (gông) and shackles (cùm), imprisoned, and a beheading sentence was prepared. On the night before the execution, he devoutly prayed the prayers throughout the entire night.
On April 28, 1840, Father Khoan, along with the two catechists Hiếu and Thanh, were taken to the execution ground at the foot of Cánh Diều mountain. Along the way, all three walked and sang hymns of thanksgiving. There, Catechist John the Baptist Đinh Văn Thanh received the sentence of beheading. The following night, the faithful brought his body to Yên Mối, and later buried him in Phúc Nhạc.
For his courageous witness of life, Catechist John the Baptist Đinh Văn Thanh was elevated to the status of Blessed on May 27, 1900, 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.