Saint Vincent Do Yen (1764 - 1838) - Vietnamese Martyr Saint

Saint Vincent Do Yen was born in 1764 in Tra Lu, Phu Nhai region, Nam Dinh province (now part of Phu Nhai parish, Bui Chu Diocese). In 1798, he was ordained as a priest by Bishop Delgado Y. Later, he was arrested but ransomed by the faithful.

On July 22, 1807, Father Vincent Do Yen took the Dominican habit. With passion for his mission, Father Vincent tirelessly faced dangers, always maintaining a cheerful, wise, calm, and gentle demeanor. Previously, he had served in Ke Mot parish before moving to Ke Sat, Hai Duong.

In 1838, Emperor Minh Mang's edict banning Christianity was strictly enforced. Father Vincent Do Yen, the parish priest of Ke Sat, was heartbroken to witness his parishioners being forced to demolish the church they had worked so hard to build. Out of love for his flock, he stayed among them, moving from house to house, conducting liturgies at night and visiting the faithful during the day.

When officials learned that Father Do Yen was still in Ke Sat, they intensified their search and threatened to destroy Sat village. To protect his flock, the shepherd quietly left, trusting entirely in God's hands. At Luc Dien parish in Hung Yen, Father Yen was captured by Mr. Phan's men and taken to Hai Duong.

The compassionate prefect of Hai Duong suggested that Father claim to be a physician to have a chance of being released. However, Father firmly replied: "No, I am not a physician. I am a priest who preaches the gospel and performs religious rites of God. I am ready to die for this reason, rather than lie to save my life."

The official continued trying to save Father by drawing a circle where he stood and asking him to step over it, as if stepping over the Cross. But once again, Father Do Yen resolutely refused: "Doing so would be no different from renouncing my faith." Seeing that he could not shake the elderly priest's faith, the prefect sent a report to the imperial court. To avoid having to sentence an innocent person himself, the official requested to send Father back to his native Nam Dinh, but Emperor Minh Mang refused and ordered execution on the spot.

The death sentence was signed on June 20, 1838. During three weeks of imprisonment, thanks to the intervention of Mr. Han, a physician, Father Do Yen was not chained and was allowed visits from the faithful.

On June 30, 1838, the prefect carried out the death sentence. Father Vincent walked proudly to the execution ground near Binh Lao parish, about one kilometer west of Hai Duong city. The gentle appearance and noble demeanor of the venerable priest moved many people. He knelt and prayed fervently before the executioner performed his duty. The official provided a cloth for the burial and ordered the martyr's head to be sewn to his body, allowing the faithful from Binh Lao parish to take the body for burial. Eight months later, the faithful reburied his remains in Tho Ninh church.

Father Vincent Do Yen was beatified on May 27, 1900, and canonized as a saint on June 19, 1988.