admin
05-09-2006, 02:47 PM
October 24
Saint Joseph LÊ ĐĂNG THỊ
Corporal
(1825-1860)
* To Heaven with a Friend.
On the day of his execution, Corporal Joseph Lê Đăng Thị woke up very early. He also awakened a fellow prisoner who would also be executed on the same day, and took him to a corner of the cell. After many days of teaching the catechumen, today (10/24) he solemnly poured water on him to baptize “IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.” Just like that he had friend accompanying him to the everlasting home in Heaven.
Joseph Lê Đăng Thị was born in 1825 in Kẻ Văn, a parish in the hamlet of Văn Quy, Quảng Trị Province, into a military family. His father was also a corporal. Once grown up, following in his father footsteps, he enlisted and served in the military. Soon after, he was awarded the rank of corporal commanding soldiers in Hà Tĩnh, then transferred to Nghệ An. Here, he got married and led a very happy life.
* Storm and Faith.
After a long period of brutal Christian persecutions, King Tự Đức discovered that his orders were not carried out seriously, because even among the government leadership, there remained some Catholics. On 12/15/1859, the king issued a proclamation to arrest the rest: “Those officials who believe in Christianity (bad religion) must be demoted even they have renounced their faith. It is necessary to investigate carefully those officials who believed in the Christian faith. Those who do not denounce it or worship it in their homes will receive the same punishment…” The king even ordered soldiers to step over the cross before going to the front fighting the French. “Those who do not abandon their faith will be inscribed with the words “Bad Religion” on their cheek and be dismissed.”
Following the advice of the military commander of the city, Corporal Lê Đăng Thị petitioned to resign from the military for health reasons. Accepted, he returned to his old hometown leaving his wife and children in Nghệ An. In January of 1860, King Tự Đức’s proclamation mentioned above was carried out nationally. Corporal Thị was betrayed by some individual, arrested, and taken to the seat of government of Quảng Trị Province. He calmly admitted to being a corporal and a Christian.
At the end of February, he was brought to trial with 31 other soldiers. Among those, 3 renounced their faith. All were demoted; one was freed due to old age; 10 were inscribed with the words “Bad Religion” and banished for life; 17 were jailed waiting to be executed.
Individually, Corporal Lê Đăng Thị was sentenced to death by strangulation, but the execution date was scheduled at the end of October. Thereafter, he was transferred to the jail in the city of Huế. In a letter sent to his wife, he wrote: “I believe that we will never see each other again. No matter what happens, we are and will love each other. I miss you and the children every day.”
* Worthy of Being the Big Brother.
Throughout his imprisonment, being the highest-ranking member of the group, Corporal Thị boosted the moral of the heroes of faith with his words, and especially through his examples of courage and loyalty. Also due to his rank, he was bound with a heavier cangue and tortured harsher. Even though he was still young and strong, he fell sick due to savage tortures. That was the time he shared his greatest fears with his fellow prison inmates:
“I don’t know if God allow me to live until the day I am executed for my faith. I am afraid that this sickness will make me die sooner. Oh unfortunate me! It might be my sins that God refuses to grant me that blessed honor.”
A priest came to visit and hear confessions from him. The following day, a catechist also sneaked in to give him the Eucharist. On October 10, 1860, the corporal was led to his execution. The mandarin advised him to renounce his religion and promised to get him amnesty from the king. But Corporal Thị refused emphatically. His sentence was written as followed:
“Lê Đăng Thị, a corporal, who believed in heresy and refused to renounce his faith, his crime cannot be forgiven. He is sentenced to death by strangulation this fall.”
* Everlasting Happiness.
At the execution field in An Hoà (Huế), the corporal knelt on a sedge mat and devoutly prayed. A priest mingling in the crowd gave him a sign then blessed his last confession. Afterward, he said aloud: “Great honor, great honor, I am about to receive martyrdom.” The executioner looped a rope around, then had both ends pulled forcefully until the witness for Christ stop breathing. Christians of Phủ Cam prepared a spectacular funeral at their parish. Presently, the martyr’s relics are kept at the church of the Redemptorist Order in Huế.
Pope Pius X elevated Joseph Lê Đăng Thị to the rank of blessed on May 2, 1909.
Saint Joseph LÊ ĐĂNG THỊ
Corporal
(1825-1860)
* To Heaven with a Friend.
On the day of his execution, Corporal Joseph Lê Đăng Thị woke up very early. He also awakened a fellow prisoner who would also be executed on the same day, and took him to a corner of the cell. After many days of teaching the catechumen, today (10/24) he solemnly poured water on him to baptize “IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.” Just like that he had friend accompanying him to the everlasting home in Heaven.
Joseph Lê Đăng Thị was born in 1825 in Kẻ Văn, a parish in the hamlet of Văn Quy, Quảng Trị Province, into a military family. His father was also a corporal. Once grown up, following in his father footsteps, he enlisted and served in the military. Soon after, he was awarded the rank of corporal commanding soldiers in Hà Tĩnh, then transferred to Nghệ An. Here, he got married and led a very happy life.
* Storm and Faith.
After a long period of brutal Christian persecutions, King Tự Đức discovered that his orders were not carried out seriously, because even among the government leadership, there remained some Catholics. On 12/15/1859, the king issued a proclamation to arrest the rest: “Those officials who believe in Christianity (bad religion) must be demoted even they have renounced their faith. It is necessary to investigate carefully those officials who believed in the Christian faith. Those who do not denounce it or worship it in their homes will receive the same punishment…” The king even ordered soldiers to step over the cross before going to the front fighting the French. “Those who do not abandon their faith will be inscribed with the words “Bad Religion” on their cheek and be dismissed.”
Following the advice of the military commander of the city, Corporal Lê Đăng Thị petitioned to resign from the military for health reasons. Accepted, he returned to his old hometown leaving his wife and children in Nghệ An. In January of 1860, King Tự Đức’s proclamation mentioned above was carried out nationally. Corporal Thị was betrayed by some individual, arrested, and taken to the seat of government of Quảng Trị Province. He calmly admitted to being a corporal and a Christian.
At the end of February, he was brought to trial with 31 other soldiers. Among those, 3 renounced their faith. All were demoted; one was freed due to old age; 10 were inscribed with the words “Bad Religion” and banished for life; 17 were jailed waiting to be executed.
Individually, Corporal Lê Đăng Thị was sentenced to death by strangulation, but the execution date was scheduled at the end of October. Thereafter, he was transferred to the jail in the city of Huế. In a letter sent to his wife, he wrote: “I believe that we will never see each other again. No matter what happens, we are and will love each other. I miss you and the children every day.”
* Worthy of Being the Big Brother.
Throughout his imprisonment, being the highest-ranking member of the group, Corporal Thị boosted the moral of the heroes of faith with his words, and especially through his examples of courage and loyalty. Also due to his rank, he was bound with a heavier cangue and tortured harsher. Even though he was still young and strong, he fell sick due to savage tortures. That was the time he shared his greatest fears with his fellow prison inmates:
“I don’t know if God allow me to live until the day I am executed for my faith. I am afraid that this sickness will make me die sooner. Oh unfortunate me! It might be my sins that God refuses to grant me that blessed honor.”
A priest came to visit and hear confessions from him. The following day, a catechist also sneaked in to give him the Eucharist. On October 10, 1860, the corporal was led to his execution. The mandarin advised him to renounce his religion and promised to get him amnesty from the king. But Corporal Thị refused emphatically. His sentence was written as followed:
“Lê Đăng Thị, a corporal, who believed in heresy and refused to renounce his faith, his crime cannot be forgiven. He is sentenced to death by strangulation this fall.”
* Everlasting Happiness.
At the execution field in An Hoà (Huế), the corporal knelt on a sedge mat and devoutly prayed. A priest mingling in the crowd gave him a sign then blessed his last confession. Afterward, he said aloud: “Great honor, great honor, I am about to receive martyrdom.” The executioner looped a rope around, then had both ends pulled forcefully until the witness for Christ stop breathing. Christians of Phủ Cam prepared a spectacular funeral at their parish. Presently, the martyr’s relics are kept at the church of the Redemptorist Order in Huế.
Pope Pius X elevated Joseph Lê Đăng Thị to the rank of blessed on May 2, 1909.