Saint Vincent Phạm Văn Dương is a shining example of loyalty to God and civic responsibility. He was born in 1821 in Kẻ Mèn parish, Thái Bình province. A devout layman, he married, had three children, and diligently educated them to live according to their faith. In addition to farming, he served as a tax collector in his village.
A major turning point occurred after King Tự Đức issued the Edict of Segregation in August 1861. In late September of that year, Mr. Phạm Văn Dương and many other believers were arrested and forced into segregation in Mỹ Nhuệ village. For nine months, he endured torture but resolutely refused to step on the Cross.
At the tribunal, the mandarins interrogated him: “As a tax collector for the court, you should set an example by obeying the king’s order to abandon the Catholic faith. Why are you so stubborn in resisting the court’s decree?”
With calmness and courage, he replied: “Your Honor, I always obey the king and mandarins in matters that are right and just. However, when it comes to forcing me to abandon the worship of my God, I cannot obey the king by denying my Lord.”
On June 6, 1862, the saint was sentenced to death by burning. His remains were buried by the faithful at the place of his martyrdom and later reinterred at Saint Vincent Church in Kẻ Mèn parish.
The Church honored his sacrifice by beatifying him on April 29, 1951, and canonizing him 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.