Saint Pedro Almato – Bình: A Joyful Dominican Martyr Who Welcomed Death for the Lord's Name - The Saints Martyred in Vietnam
Saint Pedro Almato – Bình was born on November 1, 1830, in Spain. From his youth, he was passionate about reading the "Annals of the Propagation of the Faith" magazine and learning about the witness of missionaries' lives. Despite having a slender, weak physique and often being deemed unfit for the demanding mission in distant lands, Almato was still accepted into the Dominican Order in 1847. He made his perpetual vows on September 26, 1848, and was ordained a priest in the Philippines in 1853.

In 1855, Father Almato arrived to do missionary work in the Bùi Chu diocese, taking charge of pastoral duties in the Thiết Nham region. He learned Vietnamese and took the Vietnamese name Bình. With apostolic zeal, Father Bình devoted himself to serving the faithful despite his poor health. When the Bishop saw that he had to live in a deep, cold earthen shelter, he decided to transfer him to do missionary work in China.

The Father obeyed, but when he reached the rendezvous point, the ship had already set sail earlier for fear their movements had been discovered. Having missed the voyage, he stayed and continued serving parishes in the Hải Dương region. In a letter to his family, he recounted having hidden underground for seven or eight months to avoid government soldiers. He wrote: "If you hear news of my arrest, I ask you, father and mother, not to weep but to rejoice, for I have been granted this grace."

In early August 1861, while hiding in a sugarcane field awaiting a meeting with Bishop Valentino Ochoa – Vinh, Father Bình was betrayed by someone who had previously hosted missionaries. The informant reported him to the officials to claim a reward. Both Bishop Vinh and Father Bình were arrested, placed in cangues, and taken to Hải Dương.

Since the interrogation yielded no information and the officials feared the influence of the missionaries on the guards and other prisoners, they unanimously submitted a request to Emperor Tự Đức for execution by beheading. On November 1, 1861, Father Almato – Bình was beheaded at the Năm Mẫu execution ground. His remains were initially buried right at the execution ground, later exhumed and transferred to the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation of the Dominican Sisters.

Father Pedro Almato – Bình was elevated to the rank of Blessed by the Holy Father on May 20, 1906, and canonized on June 19, 1988.