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06-04-2006, 09:22 PM
Saint Matthew NGUYỄN VĂN PHƯỢNG
Parish Council President
(1803-1861)
Death Is a Great Opportunity
Execution time has arrived. The executioner was ready. Kneeling nearby were two sons and a daughter in tear, Saint Matthew Phượng talked to them with conviction, because for a long time he had been preparing for this martyrdom:
“My dear children, don’t be so sad. This is a great opportunity for me. You love and help one another.”
Matthew Nguyễn Văn Phượng was born circa 1808 in the village of Kẻ Lài, Quảng Bình province. His father was Mr. Nguyễn Văn Bường who was a soldier. His parents were Catholics. On paper his name was Kế, but when he was young he went by the name Đắc; after he had a family and children, people called him by the name of the eldest child, Phượng.
The Love of Service
Orphaned of his father at 10, then also of his mother, Matthew Đắc had to work early. He studied oriental medicine with Dr. Nhu, a good-hearted pagan. Under King Minh Mạng’s reign, he worked with Fr. Điểm for seven years like a dutiful son; in return, Fr. Điểm loved him like a son and matched him with a gentle girl of Sáo Bùn parish; he was 22. After the wedding he started practicing oriental medicine and moved into the home of his wife whose father was Corporal Khiêm. After a few years, he changed his line of work to small retail. In general, he was very successful in the new venture, so his family lived very comfortably.
In time, the couple had 8 children. Even busy with the business, he still spent time teaching the children to live by God’ rule of loving God and people. Especially, he taught by example; he often went to confession and received communion first before he reminded the children. Weekly, he visited the sick and helped the poor in the area. His daughter, Mss. Thủ, offered her life to God in the community of the Lovers of the Cross. When his children reached maturity, he married them to good Christian families and gave them all his possessions keeping only necessities.
He was widowed at 50; he asked his eldest daughter and also a widower, Mrs. Phượng, and her children to move in with him. Admiring his virtues, Sáo Bùn parishioners elected him president of the pastoral parish council. With the scarcity of priests, the parish council president Phượng had ample opportunities to serve God’s people; many children were baptized and many pagans were converted at his counsels. Especially he welcomed many priests and catechists to his home. He laughed at the notion of martyrdom that others predicted and continued his charity work as normal.
On 1/2/1861, Fr. Hoan came to Sáo Bùn parish to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany and as usual Mr. Phượng welcomed him to his house. The following night, from nowhere soldiers rushed to the village. Fr. Hoan escaped to the riverbank but was arrested. Soldiers then poured into Mr. Phượng’s house to search where they found chalices, icons, and vestments. Soldiers immediately arrested Mr. Phượng and took him along with Fr. Hoan and 7 other parishioners.
Loyal To The End
No matter what tools of tortures the authorities used to interrogate days after days, Mr. Phượng and friends refused to reveal anything incriminating others. He admitted to inviting Fr. Hoan because of all the evidences, but resolutely refused to reject his faith and to walk over the cross.
A young man working at the tribunal happened to love his other daughter, he told Mr. Phượng: “If you marry your daughter o me, I’ll try my best to let you go free.” Mr. Phượng replied: “It’s impossible unless you convert to Catholicism. I don’t marry my daughter to pagans even if you were a secretary or a mandarin because I fear that she could not keep her faith. If for that reason I have to die, I am ready.”
On May 25 the death sentence from the royal court arrived in Đồng Hới; Mr. Phượng joyfully said goodbye to his fellow inmates so that he could leave them to go to the execution site with Fr. Hoan. A soldier held the sentence tablet at the front: “This man named Nguyễn Văn Đắc, a.k.a. Phượng, is a Christian. He had harbor Fr. Hoan. Violated the law is a capital crime. Must be beheaded immediately.”
At the city gate, the procession stopped as ordered by the mandarins to allow for food to be brought to the two prisoners by their relatives; however, soldiers wanted to finish the execution earlier, so they rushed the relatives away to continue the procession. At the execution site, following Fr. Hoan’s example, Mr. Phượng also asked to be untied, then knelt on a sedge mat, joined his hands and prayed. His two sons and Mss. Thủ, his daughter, approached in tear to say goodbye, and he bravely consoled them. Executioners ordered everyone out. The head of the martyr fell on the first gong beat, and the soul of the hero of faith went to be forever with God.
Pope Pius X elevated Matthew Nguyễn Văn Phượng to the rank of blessed on 5/2/1909.
Hoàng Tôn Thất
Parish Council President
(1803-1861)
Death Is a Great Opportunity
Execution time has arrived. The executioner was ready. Kneeling nearby were two sons and a daughter in tear, Saint Matthew Phượng talked to them with conviction, because for a long time he had been preparing for this martyrdom:
“My dear children, don’t be so sad. This is a great opportunity for me. You love and help one another.”
Matthew Nguyễn Văn Phượng was born circa 1808 in the village of Kẻ Lài, Quảng Bình province. His father was Mr. Nguyễn Văn Bường who was a soldier. His parents were Catholics. On paper his name was Kế, but when he was young he went by the name Đắc; after he had a family and children, people called him by the name of the eldest child, Phượng.
The Love of Service
Orphaned of his father at 10, then also of his mother, Matthew Đắc had to work early. He studied oriental medicine with Dr. Nhu, a good-hearted pagan. Under King Minh Mạng’s reign, he worked with Fr. Điểm for seven years like a dutiful son; in return, Fr. Điểm loved him like a son and matched him with a gentle girl of Sáo Bùn parish; he was 22. After the wedding he started practicing oriental medicine and moved into the home of his wife whose father was Corporal Khiêm. After a few years, he changed his line of work to small retail. In general, he was very successful in the new venture, so his family lived very comfortably.
In time, the couple had 8 children. Even busy with the business, he still spent time teaching the children to live by God’ rule of loving God and people. Especially, he taught by example; he often went to confession and received communion first before he reminded the children. Weekly, he visited the sick and helped the poor in the area. His daughter, Mss. Thủ, offered her life to God in the community of the Lovers of the Cross. When his children reached maturity, he married them to good Christian families and gave them all his possessions keeping only necessities.
He was widowed at 50; he asked his eldest daughter and also a widower, Mrs. Phượng, and her children to move in with him. Admiring his virtues, Sáo Bùn parishioners elected him president of the pastoral parish council. With the scarcity of priests, the parish council president Phượng had ample opportunities to serve God’s people; many children were baptized and many pagans were converted at his counsels. Especially he welcomed many priests and catechists to his home. He laughed at the notion of martyrdom that others predicted and continued his charity work as normal.
On 1/2/1861, Fr. Hoan came to Sáo Bùn parish to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany and as usual Mr. Phượng welcomed him to his house. The following night, from nowhere soldiers rushed to the village. Fr. Hoan escaped to the riverbank but was arrested. Soldiers then poured into Mr. Phượng’s house to search where they found chalices, icons, and vestments. Soldiers immediately arrested Mr. Phượng and took him along with Fr. Hoan and 7 other parishioners.
Loyal To The End
No matter what tools of tortures the authorities used to interrogate days after days, Mr. Phượng and friends refused to reveal anything incriminating others. He admitted to inviting Fr. Hoan because of all the evidences, but resolutely refused to reject his faith and to walk over the cross.
A young man working at the tribunal happened to love his other daughter, he told Mr. Phượng: “If you marry your daughter o me, I’ll try my best to let you go free.” Mr. Phượng replied: “It’s impossible unless you convert to Catholicism. I don’t marry my daughter to pagans even if you were a secretary or a mandarin because I fear that she could not keep her faith. If for that reason I have to die, I am ready.”
On May 25 the death sentence from the royal court arrived in Đồng Hới; Mr. Phượng joyfully said goodbye to his fellow inmates so that he could leave them to go to the execution site with Fr. Hoan. A soldier held the sentence tablet at the front: “This man named Nguyễn Văn Đắc, a.k.a. Phượng, is a Christian. He had harbor Fr. Hoan. Violated the law is a capital crime. Must be beheaded immediately.”
At the city gate, the procession stopped as ordered by the mandarins to allow for food to be brought to the two prisoners by their relatives; however, soldiers wanted to finish the execution earlier, so they rushed the relatives away to continue the procession. At the execution site, following Fr. Hoan’s example, Mr. Phượng also asked to be untied, then knelt on a sedge mat, joined his hands and prayed. His two sons and Mss. Thủ, his daughter, approached in tear to say goodbye, and he bravely consoled them. Executioners ordered everyone out. The head of the martyr fell on the first gong beat, and the soul of the hero of faith went to be forever with God.
Pope Pius X elevated Matthew Nguyễn Văn Phượng to the rank of blessed on 5/2/1909.
Hoàng Tôn Thất