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25-09-2006, 08:46 AM
October 28
Saint Andrew TRẦN VĂN TRÔNG
Soldier
(1814-1835)
* In Mother’s Arms.
The mother played an important role in the live of Saint Andrew Trần Văn Trông, a soldier from Huế. Pope Leo XIII praised her for the courage following the "example of the Queen of the Martyrs.” Like the Blessed Mary at the foot of the cross offering her Beloved Son, this mother was also present at the execution to offer her only son. She walked next to her son shedding not a single tear or a word of complaint. On the other hand, she was calm and cheerfully encouraging her son to be strong.
When Andrew Trông’s head fell, she courageously stepped into the execution area, exclaiming: “This is my son whom I had born and raised. Now he is still my son, please give me my son’s head.” Then she held out her shirt, picked up her beloved son’s head, brought it home, and buried it inside the house.
* Youth and Dreams.
Andrew Trần Văn Trông was born in 1814 to a Catholic family in Kim Long, Phú Xuân (Huế). At the age of 15, his father passed away leaving behind a family of widowed and fatherless children. As the only son, he put away his books and followed neighbors to Thợ Đúc to weave silk for the royal family to help his mother carve out a living. As an honest person, he always performed his job wholeheartedly, never took anything nor offended anyone. Late afternoons, after a hard day of work, he took a fishing rod to the bank of the blue Hương (Perfume) River to be close to nature. Historian Rodriguez had described his thoughts through the following verses (Martyrologie III, pp 158-159):
“How peaceful is tranquil nature
Under shading trees, fragrance abounds
Spakling water soothes the heart
The river reflects green, green mountain...”
But that peaceful life could not continue on forever because the low wage of a weaver could not support a family. At the age of 20, Andrew Trông bode farewell to his mother to join the military.
* Entering the Battle.
After 8 months of military service, in November 1834, the royal court ordered all Catholic soldiers to identify themselves. Not a hint of hesitation, Andrew Trông together with 12 comrades from the community of Thợ Đúc went before the mandarin. The mandarin requested them to obey the king’s order to renounce their faith and to walk over the cross. All 13 Catholic soldiers refused unequivocally, so the mandarin had them tortured savagely. One by one, 12 soldiers gave in, only Andrew Trông stayed true to his faith. Soldiers tied him up and carried over the cross, but he pulled up his legs determining not the offend God’s icon. As a result, he was moved from the military barrack to jail. The mandarins decided on the death sentence, but delayed the execution and kept him incarcerated.
During his yearlong incarceration, Andrew Trông went through much pain and suffering, but in turn, his faith grew as a result of those trials. He prayed persistently, especially entrusting his life to the Blessed Mother, and asked God through Mary’s intercession to keep him faithful till the end. He shared the care packages with his inmates as well as prison guards, and in turn gained their sympathy. As a result, he had chances to go to confessions, to receive the Eucharist, and to visit his mother.
Hearing that Fr. Ngân was ministering in Phú Xuân, Andrew Trông begged the warden and was allowed to go home for a day under a prison guard’s supervision. Knowing beforehand the priest’s whereabouts, Andrew Trông and the guard, rowed a sampan to the dock at noon when fishermen had went ashore for lunch. Andrew Trông went to the sampan where Fr. Ngân was taking refuge and rowed it to the middle of the river. The two had a heart to heart talk and he kneeled to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. Then he expressed the wish to receive the Eucharist, but Fr. Ngân told him to come to Kẻ Văn the following morning. Afterward, Andrew Trông and the guard continued to Kim Long in their sampan. The two went to his mother’s home and spent the night. The surprised home visit brought indescribable happiness to both mother and son. With all her heart, his mother encouraged him to endure for his faith.
Early the following morning, Andrew Trông and the guard hurriedly rowed the sampan to the pre-determined meeting place. Seeing the ‘honorable visitor”, he immediately kneeled down to receive the Eucharist. Fr. Ngân blessed him: “May the Body of Christ will guard you until the everlasting life.” He replied: “Amen.” Then filled with happiness from the grace just received, he returned to jail as promised to the warden.
* The Hearts of the mother and the son.
Without any hope of Andrew Trông changing his mind after a year of incarceration, the mandarins decided to execute him on 11/28/1835. That morning, the soldier of faith saw his cousin who asked if he wanted to eat anything? Andrew Trông answered: “I want to fast to prepare for martyrdom,” then he continued: “Please help my mother. We are cousins; my mother will also love you. Please tell my mother: do not worry about me. I wish her to be saintly always, and will be happy for her son’s faithfulness to God till death.” However, before the cousin had time to convey the message, Andrew Trông’s mother had heard of her son’s impending execution and waited for him at the open market where he would pass. Seeing him, she only asked him a brief question: “Away from home for such a long time, do you have any debt while in jail? If you do, I will repay it for you.” That’s mother’s love. She knew that her son had the courage to endure all the sufferings, now she only worried about his honor cong bang fairness.
Learned from his son that he did not owe any debt, she walked next to her son, calmly encouraging him on. At the execution field, after soldiers removed the cangue and shackles, the soldier of faith took the shackles, handed it to a soldier nearby and said: “Please do me a favor and give this thing to my mother for souvenir.” Standing close by, his mother heard him clearly, but she was not satisfied with only the shackles, she was waiting for her son’s head.
The tom-tom sounded. The executioner swung his saber, and the 21 year-old martyr’s head fell. Andrew Trông’s mother was at the execution field witnessing since the beginning. She was content, though in pain, and stepped in to ask the commanding mandarin to hand over her son’s head. Covered it in her coat and held it to her heart, she kissed his head as she repeatedly said: “My beloved son, remember to pray for me.”
On 5/27/1900 Pope Leo XIII elevated the heroic soldier Andrew Trông to the rank of blessed. His Holiness continually praised the example set by the courageous mother who had reproduced perfectly the picture of the Blessed Mary, Queen of Martyrs, on the old Mount of Golgotha.
Saint Andrew TRẦN VĂN TRÔNG
Soldier
(1814-1835)
* In Mother’s Arms.
The mother played an important role in the live of Saint Andrew Trần Văn Trông, a soldier from Huế. Pope Leo XIII praised her for the courage following the "example of the Queen of the Martyrs.” Like the Blessed Mary at the foot of the cross offering her Beloved Son, this mother was also present at the execution to offer her only son. She walked next to her son shedding not a single tear or a word of complaint. On the other hand, she was calm and cheerfully encouraging her son to be strong.
When Andrew Trông’s head fell, she courageously stepped into the execution area, exclaiming: “This is my son whom I had born and raised. Now he is still my son, please give me my son’s head.” Then she held out her shirt, picked up her beloved son’s head, brought it home, and buried it inside the house.
* Youth and Dreams.
Andrew Trần Văn Trông was born in 1814 to a Catholic family in Kim Long, Phú Xuân (Huế). At the age of 15, his father passed away leaving behind a family of widowed and fatherless children. As the only son, he put away his books and followed neighbors to Thợ Đúc to weave silk for the royal family to help his mother carve out a living. As an honest person, he always performed his job wholeheartedly, never took anything nor offended anyone. Late afternoons, after a hard day of work, he took a fishing rod to the bank of the blue Hương (Perfume) River to be close to nature. Historian Rodriguez had described his thoughts through the following verses (Martyrologie III, pp 158-159):
“How peaceful is tranquil nature
Under shading trees, fragrance abounds
Spakling water soothes the heart
The river reflects green, green mountain...”
But that peaceful life could not continue on forever because the low wage of a weaver could not support a family. At the age of 20, Andrew Trông bode farewell to his mother to join the military.
* Entering the Battle.
After 8 months of military service, in November 1834, the royal court ordered all Catholic soldiers to identify themselves. Not a hint of hesitation, Andrew Trông together with 12 comrades from the community of Thợ Đúc went before the mandarin. The mandarin requested them to obey the king’s order to renounce their faith and to walk over the cross. All 13 Catholic soldiers refused unequivocally, so the mandarin had them tortured savagely. One by one, 12 soldiers gave in, only Andrew Trông stayed true to his faith. Soldiers tied him up and carried over the cross, but he pulled up his legs determining not the offend God’s icon. As a result, he was moved from the military barrack to jail. The mandarins decided on the death sentence, but delayed the execution and kept him incarcerated.
During his yearlong incarceration, Andrew Trông went through much pain and suffering, but in turn, his faith grew as a result of those trials. He prayed persistently, especially entrusting his life to the Blessed Mother, and asked God through Mary’s intercession to keep him faithful till the end. He shared the care packages with his inmates as well as prison guards, and in turn gained their sympathy. As a result, he had chances to go to confessions, to receive the Eucharist, and to visit his mother.
Hearing that Fr. Ngân was ministering in Phú Xuân, Andrew Trông begged the warden and was allowed to go home for a day under a prison guard’s supervision. Knowing beforehand the priest’s whereabouts, Andrew Trông and the guard, rowed a sampan to the dock at noon when fishermen had went ashore for lunch. Andrew Trông went to the sampan where Fr. Ngân was taking refuge and rowed it to the middle of the river. The two had a heart to heart talk and he kneeled to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. Then he expressed the wish to receive the Eucharist, but Fr. Ngân told him to come to Kẻ Văn the following morning. Afterward, Andrew Trông and the guard continued to Kim Long in their sampan. The two went to his mother’s home and spent the night. The surprised home visit brought indescribable happiness to both mother and son. With all her heart, his mother encouraged him to endure for his faith.
Early the following morning, Andrew Trông and the guard hurriedly rowed the sampan to the pre-determined meeting place. Seeing the ‘honorable visitor”, he immediately kneeled down to receive the Eucharist. Fr. Ngân blessed him: “May the Body of Christ will guard you until the everlasting life.” He replied: “Amen.” Then filled with happiness from the grace just received, he returned to jail as promised to the warden.
* The Hearts of the mother and the son.
Without any hope of Andrew Trông changing his mind after a year of incarceration, the mandarins decided to execute him on 11/28/1835. That morning, the soldier of faith saw his cousin who asked if he wanted to eat anything? Andrew Trông answered: “I want to fast to prepare for martyrdom,” then he continued: “Please help my mother. We are cousins; my mother will also love you. Please tell my mother: do not worry about me. I wish her to be saintly always, and will be happy for her son’s faithfulness to God till death.” However, before the cousin had time to convey the message, Andrew Trông’s mother had heard of her son’s impending execution and waited for him at the open market where he would pass. Seeing him, she only asked him a brief question: “Away from home for such a long time, do you have any debt while in jail? If you do, I will repay it for you.” That’s mother’s love. She knew that her son had the courage to endure all the sufferings, now she only worried about his honor cong bang fairness.
Learned from his son that he did not owe any debt, she walked next to her son, calmly encouraging him on. At the execution field, after soldiers removed the cangue and shackles, the soldier of faith took the shackles, handed it to a soldier nearby and said: “Please do me a favor and give this thing to my mother for souvenir.” Standing close by, his mother heard him clearly, but she was not satisfied with only the shackles, she was waiting for her son’s head.
The tom-tom sounded. The executioner swung his saber, and the 21 year-old martyr’s head fell. Andrew Trông’s mother was at the execution field witnessing since the beginning. She was content, though in pain, and stepped in to ask the commanding mandarin to hand over her son’s head. Covered it in her coat and held it to her heart, she kissed his head as she repeatedly said: “My beloved son, remember to pray for me.”
On 5/27/1900 Pope Leo XIII elevated the heroic soldier Andrew Trông to the rank of blessed. His Holiness continually praised the example set by the courageous mother who had reproduced perfectly the picture of the Blessed Mary, Queen of Martyrs, on the old Mount of Golgotha.