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01-02-2006, 05:18 PM
February 13
Saint Paul LÊ VĂN LỘC
Priest
(1850-1859)
* Because of Love.
The seminary in Thị Nghè must be disbanded, that was a decision too painful to the Director Fr. Lê Văn Lộc. But what else could he do? The Church was in a precarious condition. The authorities were persecuting Catholics. The two years of directing the seminary was short, but his commitment to the Church was enormous and his love for the seminarians was deep. He could not bring himself to abandon these children. To save his life, the seminary had to be closed, but the training of seminarians could not stop. Fr. Paul Lộc managed to find refuge in the Sài Gòn and Gia Định areas, either living with the seminarians or by himself, to continue to train the young seedlings of the Church. This noble mission had brought him the grace of martyrdom, a great honor for the Thị Nghè (Sài Gòn) seminary.
* Going Back in Time.
Paul Lê Văn Lộc was born in 1830 in the village of An Nhơn, Gia Định province, into a Piusu family. Orphaned of both parents at the age of ten, Paul Lộc was raised by the pastor who sent him to Cái Nhum seminary. In 1843 Bishop Lefèbvre Nghĩa sent him to Penang Seminary for theology formation. He was praised as a man with a great future in letters sent by professors to the bishop.
Back in Vietnam, Deacon Paul Lộc taught catechism and took on the responsibility to train seminarians. On 2/7/1857, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Nghĩa and then appointed director of Thị Nghè Minor Seminary. Besides his responsibilities of teaching and providing guidance to seminarians, Fr. Paul Lộc also spent time doing pastoral and charity works. From historical accounts, in one year he converted more than 200 persons.
During difficult conditions under King Tự Đức’s reign, Fr. Paul Lộc was still dedicated to his mission and maintained the seminary for more than a year amidst the unfavorable attitude of the local authorities. In July 1858 14 French naval ships provokingly landed at the port of Hàn; Admiral Rigault de Genouilly naively counted on and waited for the Vietnamese Catholics’ support. He did not realize that Vietnamese Catholics did not like foreign invasion as we read in Saint Francis Trung’s account; they did not renounce God nor supported the French. They actively joined the royal army to oppose the French. Nevertheless, Vietnamese authorities were furious for wrongly believing that Vietnamese Catholics sided with the French, so they decided to arrest all the priests before the arrival of the invading army. As a result, the minor seminary in Thị Nghè had to be closed; priests and seminarians had to part ways. However, Fr. Paul Lộc managed to stay in the Sài Gòn area to be near his seminarians in order to continue to their training.
* On the Road of Suffering.
At the end of 1858 Fr. Paul Lộc stayed at the home of a seminarian (Mr. Ngôn). Even in danger, he still tried to help the seminarians. And it led to his arrest: a pagan woman betrayed his presence to the authorities that came, searched and arrested him on December 13 that year.
At his arrest, due to his clever answers, the mandarins treated him fairly and even promised to free him if he renounced faith. Early 1859 unable to conquer the royal capital of HUD, moreover, 200 soldiers of the Foreign Legion died of cholera, the French general decided to conquer Gia Định province by ways of Cần Giờ. When the French army started the battle for Sài Gòn, the mandarins swiftly petitioned the king to behead Fr. Paul Lộc.
* The Moment of Glory.
On 2/13/1859 Fr. Paul Lộc was brought out to Trường Thi, presently the crossroad between Hai Bà Trưng and Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh streets, to be executed.
At the age of 29 with 2 years in the priesthood, the death sentence was urgent and quick as was his life ended very early and short; short but affectionate; short but filled with love and responsibility; his life was short but sanctified by his own blood. It was very fitting that he was accepted into the life-never-ending place. As such Fr. Paul Lộc stepped into the everlasting life.
Christians had to wait until dark to sneak his remains, which were still tied to the stake, to the community of Chợ Quán for burial. It was later moved to St. Paul monastery in Sài Gòn. Presently, his relics were kept at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Sài Gòn. Pope Pius X beatified Fr. Paul Lê Văn Lộc on 5/2/1909.
Saint Paul LÊ VĂN LỘC
Priest
(1850-1859)
* Because of Love.
The seminary in Thị Nghè must be disbanded, that was a decision too painful to the Director Fr. Lê Văn Lộc. But what else could he do? The Church was in a precarious condition. The authorities were persecuting Catholics. The two years of directing the seminary was short, but his commitment to the Church was enormous and his love for the seminarians was deep. He could not bring himself to abandon these children. To save his life, the seminary had to be closed, but the training of seminarians could not stop. Fr. Paul Lộc managed to find refuge in the Sài Gòn and Gia Định areas, either living with the seminarians or by himself, to continue to train the young seedlings of the Church. This noble mission had brought him the grace of martyrdom, a great honor for the Thị Nghè (Sài Gòn) seminary.
* Going Back in Time.
Paul Lê Văn Lộc was born in 1830 in the village of An Nhơn, Gia Định province, into a Piusu family. Orphaned of both parents at the age of ten, Paul Lộc was raised by the pastor who sent him to Cái Nhum seminary. In 1843 Bishop Lefèbvre Nghĩa sent him to Penang Seminary for theology formation. He was praised as a man with a great future in letters sent by professors to the bishop.
Back in Vietnam, Deacon Paul Lộc taught catechism and took on the responsibility to train seminarians. On 2/7/1857, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Nghĩa and then appointed director of Thị Nghè Minor Seminary. Besides his responsibilities of teaching and providing guidance to seminarians, Fr. Paul Lộc also spent time doing pastoral and charity works. From historical accounts, in one year he converted more than 200 persons.
During difficult conditions under King Tự Đức’s reign, Fr. Paul Lộc was still dedicated to his mission and maintained the seminary for more than a year amidst the unfavorable attitude of the local authorities. In July 1858 14 French naval ships provokingly landed at the port of Hàn; Admiral Rigault de Genouilly naively counted on and waited for the Vietnamese Catholics’ support. He did not realize that Vietnamese Catholics did not like foreign invasion as we read in Saint Francis Trung’s account; they did not renounce God nor supported the French. They actively joined the royal army to oppose the French. Nevertheless, Vietnamese authorities were furious for wrongly believing that Vietnamese Catholics sided with the French, so they decided to arrest all the priests before the arrival of the invading army. As a result, the minor seminary in Thị Nghè had to be closed; priests and seminarians had to part ways. However, Fr. Paul Lộc managed to stay in the Sài Gòn area to be near his seminarians in order to continue to their training.
* On the Road of Suffering.
At the end of 1858 Fr. Paul Lộc stayed at the home of a seminarian (Mr. Ngôn). Even in danger, he still tried to help the seminarians. And it led to his arrest: a pagan woman betrayed his presence to the authorities that came, searched and arrested him on December 13 that year.
At his arrest, due to his clever answers, the mandarins treated him fairly and even promised to free him if he renounced faith. Early 1859 unable to conquer the royal capital of HUD, moreover, 200 soldiers of the Foreign Legion died of cholera, the French general decided to conquer Gia Định province by ways of Cần Giờ. When the French army started the battle for Sài Gòn, the mandarins swiftly petitioned the king to behead Fr. Paul Lộc.
* The Moment of Glory.
On 2/13/1859 Fr. Paul Lộc was brought out to Trường Thi, presently the crossroad between Hai Bà Trưng and Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh streets, to be executed.
At the age of 29 with 2 years in the priesthood, the death sentence was urgent and quick as was his life ended very early and short; short but affectionate; short but filled with love and responsibility; his life was short but sanctified by his own blood. It was very fitting that he was accepted into the life-never-ending place. As such Fr. Paul Lộc stepped into the everlasting life.
Christians had to wait until dark to sneak his remains, which were still tied to the stake, to the community of Chợ Quán for burial. It was later moved to St. Paul monastery in Sài Gòn. Presently, his relics were kept at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Sài Gòn. Pope Pius X beatified Fr. Paul Lê Văn Lộc on 5/2/1909.