admin
30-06-2006, 07:38 AM
July 4
Saint Joseph NGUYỄN ĐÌNH UYỂN
Dominican Tertiary Catechist
(1775-1838)
* The Belief in Arising from the Death.
Admirable accounts of Saint Joseph Uyển, the 63 years-old catechist, provided for us the martyrs’ beliefs in “bodies will rise from the dead“ when they have to face their own deaths. That will be a triumphant day for those who are faithful to God. When he was just arrested, the governor of Hưng Yên threatened to behead him, the catechist boldly replied: “His Honor, only when I am beheaded I can expect to rise again in the future.” Another time, after an unsuccessful torturing session, a soldier pulled out a saber threatening to sever his neck, catechist Uyển remained calm with no change in his facial appearance. The soldier asked: “You old man are not afraid of my saber?” The catechist serenely declared his faith: “Go ahead and sever my head. On judgment day, I will have another head.”
* Diocesan Administration and Pastoral Catechist.
Joseph Nguyễn Đình Uyển was born in 1775 in the village of Ninh Cường, Nam Định province. As a young man, he entered Tiên Chu Seminary, and then he was sent to work under the tutelage of with Fr. Nhân until he officially became a catechist and a capable assistant of Bishop Henares Minh (east vicariate of Tonkin). At the bishop’s suggestion, he joined the Dominican Tertiary Confraternity. He accompanied the bishop on his pastoral visit. Those who met him praised his exemplary life, especially his strict adherence to the Dominican Tertiary discipline and his missionary spirit.
In 1838, when the persecution exploded on the east vicariate of Tonkin, the two bishops and priests had to flee. Bishop Henares Minh officially handed catechist Uyển pastoral responsibilities for Tiên Chu parish even though he did not have priestly faculty. Fulfilling this special responsibility beautifully, he oversaw all parish’s activities as well as encouraged parishioners to maintain their faith. He was respected and praised by the bishop as well as parishioners.
On 5/29/1838, the authorities surrounded Tiên Chu village looking for the coadjutor bishop. They ordered all Christians to show up at the village temple for a roll call. The catechist Uyển also showed up with his parishioners. His tertiary collar was carelessly exposed, so the mandarin called him out for questioning: “Are you a priest?” He answered: “No.” A soldier teasingly strokes his nose and said: “His nose is long, there is no doublet that he is an European priest.” The catechist Uyển shook his head but said nothing. The mandarin then told him to walk over the cross or else he would be beheaded. The catechist Uyển refused and declared his paschal belief. Furious, the mandarin had him bound up, and sent him to the provincial capital of Hưng Yên that afternoon. The mandarin of Hưng Yên city had a preliminary examination to determine his rank in the Church and the person who ordained him, as well as the whereabouts of missionaries... He did not reveal anything, so was put in a cangue and thrown in jail.
* Uncountable Hardships.
The following day, the catechist Uyển was brought to the tribunal. The judicial mandarin sternly ordered him to renounce his faith and signed the resignation paper. But the hero of faith determinedly maintained his loyalty to God. The mandarin ordered him caned 39 times, then questioned the catechist about Christianity. The catechist Joseph Uyển quickly seized the opportunity to explain to all who were present the Ten Commandments. Night came; he was again thrown back in jail. Because of severe diarrhea plus three days of painful tortures, he was exhausted to the breaking point; the judicial mandarin became concerned and had a physician come to take care of him.
Fifteen days after barely recovering from his illness, the judicial mandarin again summoned the prisoner back to the tribunal. The mandarin said: “Mr. Uyển, walk over the cross, I will release you to your family.” The catechist responded: “I am not married.” The judge shouted: “Walk over the cross to save your life. Even a dog wants to live, even for only a single a day, nevertheless human.” The heroic warrior replied: “I thank you if you keep me alive, but walking over the cross is the one thing that I will never do.” The judge ordered him beaten 18 canes, then said: “It takes only one step to stay alive, why don’t you do it?” The catechist answered: “To me, this worldly life is only as big as a fingertip.”
As a result the judge became enraged and had soldiers dragged the catechist over the cross. The catechist then decided to sit on the floor, allowing soldiers to torture him. Four soldiers, two to a side of the cangue, had to use all their strength to lift him off the ground, the catechist bent his knee to avoid touching the cross while praying for God’s help. Another mandarin ordered: “Cut his beard.” The soldier nearby grasped the catechist’s beard with one hand while trying to trim it with the other hand; but he stopped when observing that the old man was exhausted to near death.
The mandarin asked the catechist Uyển to walk over the cross one last time, but just as previously, the only result that the mandarin could obtain from the catechist was his indomitable spirit. The mandarin could not hide his admiration, he said: “On the outside, he looks like a man on the verge of death, but the determination in his heart is amazing.” Then the mandarin ordered a heavier cangue for the catechist and petitioned the royal capital for a death sentence. The petition requested a sentence similar to the one handed down on Saint Francis Chiểu who had been executed on June 20.
* The Eternal Reward.
While waiting for the sentence to be approved by the king, the catechist’s food was rationed every day. His body deteriorated due to the beatings, hunger, illness, and old age... Even so catechist Joseph Uyển was still persistent with his a rock-solid faith. Then at 3:00 PM on 7/4/1838, with that strong faith he died in prison. Although he was not executed, his painful death was truly worthy of the crown of martyrdom. The authorities allowed parishioners to take his body back for burial in Tiên Chu parish where he had lived with them during the most agonizing time.
Pope Leo XIII elevated Dominican Tertiary and catechist Joseph Nguyễn Đình Uyển to the rank of blessed on 5/27/1900.
Hoàng Tôn Thất
Saint Joseph NGUYỄN ĐÌNH UYỂN
Dominican Tertiary Catechist
(1775-1838)
* The Belief in Arising from the Death.
Admirable accounts of Saint Joseph Uyển, the 63 years-old catechist, provided for us the martyrs’ beliefs in “bodies will rise from the dead“ when they have to face their own deaths. That will be a triumphant day for those who are faithful to God. When he was just arrested, the governor of Hưng Yên threatened to behead him, the catechist boldly replied: “His Honor, only when I am beheaded I can expect to rise again in the future.” Another time, after an unsuccessful torturing session, a soldier pulled out a saber threatening to sever his neck, catechist Uyển remained calm with no change in his facial appearance. The soldier asked: “You old man are not afraid of my saber?” The catechist serenely declared his faith: “Go ahead and sever my head. On judgment day, I will have another head.”
* Diocesan Administration and Pastoral Catechist.
Joseph Nguyễn Đình Uyển was born in 1775 in the village of Ninh Cường, Nam Định province. As a young man, he entered Tiên Chu Seminary, and then he was sent to work under the tutelage of with Fr. Nhân until he officially became a catechist and a capable assistant of Bishop Henares Minh (east vicariate of Tonkin). At the bishop’s suggestion, he joined the Dominican Tertiary Confraternity. He accompanied the bishop on his pastoral visit. Those who met him praised his exemplary life, especially his strict adherence to the Dominican Tertiary discipline and his missionary spirit.
In 1838, when the persecution exploded on the east vicariate of Tonkin, the two bishops and priests had to flee. Bishop Henares Minh officially handed catechist Uyển pastoral responsibilities for Tiên Chu parish even though he did not have priestly faculty. Fulfilling this special responsibility beautifully, he oversaw all parish’s activities as well as encouraged parishioners to maintain their faith. He was respected and praised by the bishop as well as parishioners.
On 5/29/1838, the authorities surrounded Tiên Chu village looking for the coadjutor bishop. They ordered all Christians to show up at the village temple for a roll call. The catechist Uyển also showed up with his parishioners. His tertiary collar was carelessly exposed, so the mandarin called him out for questioning: “Are you a priest?” He answered: “No.” A soldier teasingly strokes his nose and said: “His nose is long, there is no doublet that he is an European priest.” The catechist Uyển shook his head but said nothing. The mandarin then told him to walk over the cross or else he would be beheaded. The catechist Uyển refused and declared his paschal belief. Furious, the mandarin had him bound up, and sent him to the provincial capital of Hưng Yên that afternoon. The mandarin of Hưng Yên city had a preliminary examination to determine his rank in the Church and the person who ordained him, as well as the whereabouts of missionaries... He did not reveal anything, so was put in a cangue and thrown in jail.
* Uncountable Hardships.
The following day, the catechist Uyển was brought to the tribunal. The judicial mandarin sternly ordered him to renounce his faith and signed the resignation paper. But the hero of faith determinedly maintained his loyalty to God. The mandarin ordered him caned 39 times, then questioned the catechist about Christianity. The catechist Joseph Uyển quickly seized the opportunity to explain to all who were present the Ten Commandments. Night came; he was again thrown back in jail. Because of severe diarrhea plus three days of painful tortures, he was exhausted to the breaking point; the judicial mandarin became concerned and had a physician come to take care of him.
Fifteen days after barely recovering from his illness, the judicial mandarin again summoned the prisoner back to the tribunal. The mandarin said: “Mr. Uyển, walk over the cross, I will release you to your family.” The catechist responded: “I am not married.” The judge shouted: “Walk over the cross to save your life. Even a dog wants to live, even for only a single a day, nevertheless human.” The heroic warrior replied: “I thank you if you keep me alive, but walking over the cross is the one thing that I will never do.” The judge ordered him beaten 18 canes, then said: “It takes only one step to stay alive, why don’t you do it?” The catechist answered: “To me, this worldly life is only as big as a fingertip.”
As a result the judge became enraged and had soldiers dragged the catechist over the cross. The catechist then decided to sit on the floor, allowing soldiers to torture him. Four soldiers, two to a side of the cangue, had to use all their strength to lift him off the ground, the catechist bent his knee to avoid touching the cross while praying for God’s help. Another mandarin ordered: “Cut his beard.” The soldier nearby grasped the catechist’s beard with one hand while trying to trim it with the other hand; but he stopped when observing that the old man was exhausted to near death.
The mandarin asked the catechist Uyển to walk over the cross one last time, but just as previously, the only result that the mandarin could obtain from the catechist was his indomitable spirit. The mandarin could not hide his admiration, he said: “On the outside, he looks like a man on the verge of death, but the determination in his heart is amazing.” Then the mandarin ordered a heavier cangue for the catechist and petitioned the royal capital for a death sentence. The petition requested a sentence similar to the one handed down on Saint Francis Chiểu who had been executed on June 20.
* The Eternal Reward.
While waiting for the sentence to be approved by the king, the catechist’s food was rationed every day. His body deteriorated due to the beatings, hunger, illness, and old age... Even so catechist Joseph Uyển was still persistent with his a rock-solid faith. Then at 3:00 PM on 7/4/1838, with that strong faith he died in prison. Although he was not executed, his painful death was truly worthy of the crown of martyrdom. The authorities allowed parishioners to take his body back for burial in Tiên Chu parish where he had lived with them during the most agonizing time.
Pope Leo XIII elevated Dominican Tertiary and catechist Joseph Nguyễn Đình Uyển to the rank of blessed on 5/27/1900.
Hoàng Tôn Thất