Let us recall a hero of the faith, a priest who lived his vocation to the fullest and strode fearlessly toward glory. That is Saint Joseph Đặng Đình Viên.
He was born in 1785 in Tiên Chu village, Tiên Lữ district, Hưng Yên province, and was also known by the name Lương. His childhood was spent in his maternal grandparents’ home in the Vân family line, Ân Thi district. After his parents passed away, he went to assist the priests and was recommended to the seminary, planting the seeds for a future journey of consecration.
In 1821, Father Joseph was ordained a priest and sent to shepherd the Catholic community of Lục Thủy village, Nam Định. Two years later, he went on to serve the congregations of Đông Bài, Thiết Nham, Như Thiết, and An Mỹ. With his virtuous life and diligent spirit, he quickly won the love and esteem of everyone.
That life of dedication turned a new and challenging page on April 17, 1838. Catechist Vũ Văn Lân, sent by Father Viên to receive the Oil of the Fifth Thursday of Holy Week, was arrested along with six important letters that Father had sent to two bishops and the missionaries. Those letters unexpectedly became the focal point, prompting Governor Trịnh Quang Khanh to launch a bloody persecution in Nam Định and Hưng Yên, claiming the lives of many priests and faithful.
In Hưng Yên, to capture Father Viên at all costs, the soldiers bribed two Catholics who were relatives of his. On August 1, 1838, he was surrounded and captured at the Cầu Chay congregation, Như Thiết commune. At first, Father managed to hide in a thick sugarcane field. But when he heard the agonizing cries of the homeowner’s young child being tortured, he could not stand by. Father stepped out and declared fearlessly: “I am the đạo trưởng (head of the congregation) Viên that you are looking for. Please do not torment this child any longer.”
Faced with exhortations to renounce his faith in order to be spared, Father Joseph remained steadfast and answered with complete resolve: “Even if I die, I will not step over the cross. If I, the đạo trưởng (head of the congregation), step over the cross, who will follow the faith anymore?”
On August 21, the death sentence by beheading was brought to the province. The officials made one last attempt to persuade him but to no avail; they then read the verdict and carried it out that very day. On the way to the execution ground, an act of great humanity took place: Father Viên forgave the two individuals who had revealed his hiding place. After eating a little rice, he knelt on a spread-out cotton blanket, raised his eyes to heaven, and prayed. The executioner brought the witness of Christ to the throne of glory.
His remains were then solemnly carried in procession by about 300 faithful to be buried in Tiên Chu church, his hometown.
In recognition of that heroic faith, the priest Joseph Đặng Đình Viên was beatified on May 27, 1900, and was officially 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.