Ngày 19/12: Thánh Francis Xavier Mậu, Dominic Uý, Augustine Đệ, Stephen Vinh

[admin]

Group of Witnesses in Prison:

1. Francis Xavier HÀ TRỌNG MẬU
2. Dominic BÙI VĂN ÚY
3. Augustine NGUYỄN VĂN MỚI
4. Thomas NGUYỄN VĂN ĐỆ
5. Stephen NGUYỄN VĂN VINH

Reading the stories of the Vietnamese Martyrs, no one can forget a witness group composed of two catechists and three lay Christians in prison. Five men were imprisoned with Fr. Tự and Mr. Cảnh, but the last two were executed ahead of the other five on September 9,1838. Even though they were mistreated and under constant watch, the five men grew closer in the spirit of beep brotherly love. Together they helped one another live in rock solid faith and strived to bear witness to God through their words, examples, and with their own lives.

[admin]

Saint Francis Xavier HÀ TRỌNG MẬU
Dominican Catechist
(1790-1839)

Catechist Francis Xavier Mậu did not only have to choose between life and death, but he also had to choose between death and working as a government official. Without hesitation, he replied to the governor: “I don’t desire power, I only want to die for faith.”

Francis Xavier Hà Trọng Mậu was born in 1790 in the village of Kẻ Diền, Thái Bình Province. He entered religious life with his parents’ blessing, became a catechist, and worked in many parishes. When Fr. Peter Tự was arrested, Catechist Mậu was working in the community of Nội in Kẻ Mốt parish. Informed that Fr. Fr. Peter Tự and the catechist Úy had been brought to Lương Tài, he immediately went there to check. Christians arranged for him to stay at a pagan’s house on the other side of the river, thinking that the authorities would never search there. Unfortunately, the homeowner himself went to the authorities with the information in exchange for reward money, so he was arrested.

He was taken to the official residence of the magistrate of Lương Tài. Fr. Tự was there also. The magistrate demanded to know who he was, he replied: “Hs Honor, I am a faithful student of this priest.” Fr. Tự gave him a signal telling him not to reveal too much for the chance that he could still be released with some ransom money. But he whispered in the priest’s ear: “Please accept meas your student so that I can die for faith with you.”

The days after Fr.Tự and Mr. Cảnh were executed, Mr. Mậu became the pillar supporting the four remaining inmates: Catechist Úy, lay men Mới, Vinh, and Đệ. He urged the men to live in brotherly love, to console and help one another. He wrote letters for all of them, or answered the magistrate’s questions. Specifically he encouraged the men to enthusiastically do apostolic works right in prison. In the testimonials for their beatification, Rev. Huấn had depended his letters to state: “Catechist Mậu taught catechism to inmates and baptized 44 men. One of the men was a death-row inmate named Hưng who had just one month of catechism when he was due to be executed; he asked to postpone it for a few hours so that he could receive his baptism; baptized, he cheerfully went to the execution field...”

When the magistrate said: “Any one who die for not walking over the cross is a fool and unloving toward their elderly parents. ” Mr. Mậu explained: “His Honor, our parents gave us life, but even our parents’ presence in this world was due to God’s power.” When the magistrate announced the death sentence, he calmly answered: “His Honor, we want to go to our God like deers longing for water streams. So go ahead and carry out the king’s sentence.”

[admin]

Saint Dominic BÙI VĂN ÚY
Dominican Catechist
(1812-1839)

“If I dare trampling on the cross, I would offend God and become ungrateful to my parents. Because my parents had taught me to be loyal to the faith till death.”

Catechist Dominic Úy had placed his whole faith in the traditions of the forefathers. It was not clear when his parents instilled in him to persevere even under threat of execution, at the beginning of the persecution or during their visitation in jail? Nevertheless, renouncing one’s faith, to him, was betraying those who had worked at nourishing his faith.

Dominican Bùi Văn Úy was born in 1812 in the community of Tiên Môn, Kẻ Rèm Village, Thái Bình Province. At an early age, he had been sent to the rectory to live with Fr. Tự. After becoming a catechist, he always worked alongside the priest in the parish of Kẻ Đanh, then in Kẻ Mốt (Bắc Ninh) until he was arrested at the young age of 26. Those, who came in contact with him, agreed on his good nature and his special love of God, and that he was an effective assistant of Fr. Tự, especially during King Minh Mạng’s all-out war against Christianity. His biggest dream was to be able to play the role of “Lê Lai substituting his life” to prevent Fr.Tự from being captured (Lê Lai and his brother, King Lê Loi, were surrounded by the Chinese army. Lê Lai took on his brother’s identity to lead a breakout and was captured while his brother escaped and survived.) Whenever he dug hiding trenches, he always built two compartments, and took the outside one for himself. He told everyone: “If the mandarins same searching, I will give myself up first to prevent father from being arrested so that he can help you.”

On 6/29/1838 soldiers surrounded Kẻ Mốt Village and arrested Catechist Úy together with Fr. Tự. The priest thought of testifying that Mr. Úy was just a parishioner being there to cook to keep him from possible peril, but Mr. Úy said:

“Please say that I am a catechist so that I may be blessed with martyrdom like you.”

He then asked for the Sacrament of Confession to prepare his soul. The mandarin tricked him one time by lying: “Fr. Tự had walked over the cross, why do still remain so stubborn?” He calmly answered: “Nonsense, my father would never do such thing, and even so, I still would not walked over the cross.”

One time, the mandarin seemed to tempt him: “You are still very young. Reconsider and be a little wiser, I only ask you to walk over a piece of wood.” Mr. Úy replied: “It’s a piece of wood, His Honor, but it represents the God I worship. What would you think if I trample on my parents’ portrait?” Another time, when urged to step on the cross, he countered straightforwardly:

“His Honor, do you dare walking over the king’s face? How can you tell me to walk over my God’s face? But even if you walk over the king’s face, I still will not walk over my God’s face.”

The mandarin sternly warned: “Irreverent bastard, I will cut your head off.” The warrior of faith happily exclaimed:

“Brothers, I will soon be executed.”

However, the grace of everlasting life did not come as quick as he said.

[admin]

Saint Augustine NGUYỄN VĂN MỚI
Farmer, Dominican Tertiary
(1806-1839)

Although he was a new convert, Augustine Mới had demonstrated an enduring faith, not any less than any Christian with the strongest faith.

Augustine Nguyễn Văn Mới was born in 1806 in the village of Bồ Trang, Thái Bình Province, into a non-believing farmer family. At maturity, he went to the village of Đức Trai, Kẻ Mốt Parish (Bắc Ninh) to work as a laborer. In daily contacts with Christians here, day after day he felt enamored with Christianity and asked to attend religious classes. At 31, he was baptized by Fr. Tự and chose Saint Augustine as his patron saint.

A few years later, Fr.Tự also officiated the wedding mass of his marriage a woman in the parish. According to the testimonials in the beatification files, Mr. Augustine Mới led a good Christian live; especially he recited the Mysteries of the Rosary every night. Even after a long day of hard labor and not returning home till late, he still did not forget praying the Rosary to venerate the Blessed Mother.

On 6/29/1838 when soldiers searched Kẻ Mốt Village and arrested Fr. Tự, they made all villagers assembled at the village temple for a roll call, then made them walk over the cross. A few quick-thinking Christians absconded while a few timid ones followed the soldiers’ instructions. The young men Mới, Vinh and Đệ tenaciously would not trample on the cross, so they were arrested and taken along with Fr. Tự, Mr. Cảnh and the two catechists Úy and Mậu to Bắc Ninh prison.

[admin]

Saint ThomasNGUYỄN VĂN ĐỆ
Taylor, Dominican Tertiary
(1811-1839)

Twenty-eight years old, a wife and three children were the worries that made Mr. Thomas Đệ tossed and turned in prison. It is impossible for him to renounce his faith, but what would happen to the future of his young wife and infant children? After many months of thinking and praying for God’s guidance, he finally found peace in entrusting everything to God’s providence. He told his wife when she visited in prison:

“Don’t cry, my love! Go home and raise our children to be good people and to worship God. I will offer you and the children to God. Petition to God to give me strength to endure to the end.”

Born into a Catholic family in the village of Bồ Trang, Thái Bình Province, in 1811, Thomas Nguyễn Văn Đệ followed his family to Kẻ Mốt parish (Bắc Ninh) for economic reason and lived close to the church. As an adult, he became a tailor and was loved by all who came in contact with him. He was very enthusiastic in parish activities. Almost all the banners, flags, and decorations in parish were passed through his talented hands. As his family settled down economically, he got married, moved out on his own, and had three children.

On 6/29/1838 soldiers surrounded Kẻ Mốt village and force those older than 18 to walk over the cross, he hid in the back of his house. When soldiers forced their way into every house, and knowing he could not continue to hide forever, he kissed goodbye to his wife and children advising them to go her parents’ house, then gave himself up. In front of the cross, Mr. Đệ knelt and prayed in a loud voice: “My Lord, I will never walk over your face.”

Soldiers escorted Thomas Đệ together with Fr. Tự, Mr. Cảnh, and two catechists Úy and Mậu, as well as Mr. Vinh to Bắc Ninh prison.

[admin]

Saint Stephen NGUYỄN VĂN VINH
Farm Worker, Dominican Tertiary
(1813-1839)

Saint Stephen Vinh is very unique among the Vietnamese martyrs. When he was arrested, he was just a catechumen. But even with the little bit of knowledge of Catholicism, he had endured to bear witness for the truth. Even though he was not initialized into the Catholic faith until he was imprisoned and became a Dominican tertiary, but he never was any less courageous than anyone in demonstrating his faith in God.

Stephen Nguyễn Văn Vinh was born in 1813 tin the village of Bồ Trang, Thái Bình province. Raised in a poor family without even a small garden plot, Vinh, unable to afford school, had to work year-round as a laborer for other families in Kẻ Mốt (Bắc Ninh). However, he had a special passion for religious classes where he learned to spell orally. He then applied what he learned in his daily living making others to wonder why he was not baptized yet. Everyone loved for his simplicity, his naiveté, strength and honesty. He never approached any work superficially. Any task he was asked or hired to work on, he diligently finished it successfully without any complaint or any supervision. Until his arrest, he was still single and never married.

On 6/29/1838 when the authorities were pursuing Fr. Tự in Kẻ Mốt, and obliged everyone to trample on the cross, this young man of 25 had courageously announced: “I rather die than trampling on the cross because I know that Jesus’s religion is the true religion.”

Because of those words, the authorities mistook him as a Christian, arrested and took him to prison in Bắc Ninh together with Fr. Tự, parish council member Cảnh, the catechists Úy and Mậu, and two other young men Mới and Đệ. Here, Vinh was blessed to become a Christian, and also honored to become one of Saint Dominic’s children. Throughout his journey of martyrdom, he was a silent witness, leaving the talking to others, but cangue, shackles and tortures never fazed him or defeated his spirit. Selecting Saint Stephen as his patron in prison, he was determined to follow the Church‘s first martyr till his last breath.

* Comforting Words...

After a month of tormenting and torturing the seven soldiers of faith without any result, on 7/27/1838 Bắc Ninh’s authorities petitioned the royal court to sentence Fr. Tự and Mr. Cảnh to death by strangulation and the other five men, whom the authorities believed became Catholics due to their low self-esteem, to be punished with 100 canes each and banishment to Bình Định. The laws of the time reserved the death sentence by strangulation to witches and voodoo priests while accomplices would be punished by being caned and sent into exile at a distance of at least 300 miles away. However, King Minh Mạng considered converting to Catholicism a more serious crime, he decided to execute the two men right away and the rest a year later if they would not renounce their faith.

On 9/5/1838 informed of Fr. Peter Tự and Mr. Cảnh’s execution at Kinh Bắc execution field, the five inmates became distraught, Brother Mậu gathered everyone together to pray, to support one another, and to talk about Fr. Tự’s past teachings. Three nights later, as recounted by the five men, while they were praying they felt of Fr. Tự’s sudden presence to comfort them: “Stop agonizing, my children. You certainly will die for faith... However, you all must go through more trials to be worthy of this solemn blessing.” It was probably just a dream and not a reality, but it was possible last words from the priest. From then on, they stopped despairing and rediscovered their model of courage in the misery of prison.

* The Vow in Prison...

Fr. Tự’s last words the day he received the grace of martyrdom left a deep impression on the five inmates left behind. Dressed in the Dominican habits, he talked about it. Among the five men, four except Vinh had worn the habits as Dominican tertiary, but they had not professed their solemn vows. Brother Mậu immediately wrote to Fr. Huấn of the Dominican Order to express their wish to be in complete communion with the order. He wrote:

“We are five novices of Dominican tertiary. We cannot keep a regular fast schedule on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, please dispense us from this obligation. Through this letter, we profess our solemn vows. Because we cannot read the vows directly from your hand, with these words standing in for our presence in front of you, we profess our vows. Please grant us:

To honor and praise the almighty God, the Father – Son – and the Holy Spirit, we, Francis, Dominic, Augustine, and Stephen, in front of Fr. Huấn representing Fr. Hermosilla, superior of Dominican Tertiary’s, pledge and wish to obey the rules and regulations of the order till death.”

At the time, the words “till death” at the time certainly must have a special sound to them in prison. Having connected with the 600-year old tradition of evangelization of the patriarch and one of the Church’s biggest religious order, the five brothers became more enthusiastic with their ministry. Under Brother Mậu’s direction, the five Dominican tertiary spanned out to meet other inmates to introduce God to them, then to lead them to Brother Mậu to receive the sacrament of baptism. They baptized at least 44 persons. Jail now became a church where words of praise to God were resonated, prayers for the Church and all people of all kinds filled with God’s blessing.

[admin]

* Bearing Witness Before the Authorities...

A year of incarceration soon passed, the royal court retried death sentence by strangulation of the five men. On 8/19/1839 the mandarin summoned them to court; a cross was off to a side, on the other side were tools of torture. The mandarin said: “You have been incarcerated for a long time and suffered a lot, renounce your faith and I will free you to go home to your wife and children.” Brother Mậu replied on behalf of the others:

“We had decided to remain loyal to God, if His Honor give the order to kill us by beheading or other means, we are ready.”

Then all five men kneeled down, bowed their head to the cross, and prayed: “God, please help us. I entrust my soul in your hands.”

Disappointed, the mandarin had soldiers lead them back to jail and uttered: “We cannot pardon these men, but they do not want to be pardoned anyway.”

On November 24, the five men were brought to court again. The same scene was repeated again, and God’s servants were again resolutely not forsaking their faith. Once more Brother Mậu spoke on behalf of his religious brothers:

“We worship only one God who is Father to all things, King over all kings, the One whom we wish to shed our blood to show our loyalty and love.”

* Like Deers Longing for Fresh Water...

On 12/19/1839, before heading out to the execution field, the mandarin gave the five men one last chance. He said: “You only have to walk over the feet of the icon, I will still pardon you.” Then, to make it even easier, he said: “You only have to go around the icon, I will also pardon you.” But the witnesses of faith told one another to kneel down and recite the Prayer to the Most Holy Name. Probably affected by Advent’s prayers preparing for God’s coming, Brother Mậu used the words of Psalms (42) to talk to the mandarin:

“His Honor, We wish to go to our God like deers longing for water streams. Please carry out the king’s sentence.”

Knowing that it was impossible to shake the men’s cast-iron will, the mandarin ordered them executed with the following sentence:

“The criminals believed in the bad religion of Christianity, even though they were counseled and disciplined, they were still too stubborn to walk over the cross, and now they will be sentenced to death by strangulation.”

On the way to the execution field, Brother Mậu walked ahead of the other religious brothers; the men’s face exuded elation and determination. A big crowd of curious spectators gathered and whispered among themselves that these men were being executed erroneously. Emulating Brother Mậu, the witnesses of faith jovially told the crowd:

“We are going to heaven.”

At the execution field, each man was tied to a stake. Then at the same time, executioners used a rope to squeeze their necks until they died. Christians brought their bodies home to their respective parishes for burial: Saint Mậu in Kẻ La; Saint Úy in Đồng Tiến; Saint Mới in Phượng Vỹ; Saint Đệ in Phong Cốc, and Saint Vinh in Hương La, all in Bắc Ninh province.

On 5/27/1900 Pope Leo XIII elevated five martyred heroes: Francis Xavier Hà Trọng Mậu, Dominic Bùi Văn Úy, Augustine Nguyễn Văn Mới, Thomas Nguyễn Văn Đệ, and Stephen Nguyễn Văn Vinh to the rank of blessed.

Bản dịch của Hoàng Tôn Thất