Blessed Andrew of Phú Yên
Feast day: July 26
Blessed Andrew of Phú Yên, a 19-year-old catechist, the first martyr of Vietnam (26/07)
Who is he?
Blessed Andrew of Phú Yên was a young Vietnamese man who lived in central Vietnam in the 17th century. He was a catechist, which means someone who helps the priests by teaching the catechism. He is the protomartyr, that is, the first martyr, of the Church in Vietnam. He has been declared Blessed, but has not yet been canonized as a saint.
Life story
Andrew was born around 1625 in Phú Yên, into a family that did not yet follow the faith. Around 1641, he and his mother were taught the catechism and baptized by Father Alexandre de Rhodes (Đắc Lộ), a missionary priest. He was a hard worker, very bright, and loved God with all his heart.
Soon after, Andrew asked to work with the priests as a catechist. He went along with the priests, teaching prayers and catechism to everyone, and he lived a very gentle and cheerful life.
In 1644, practicing the faith was banned. One day, soldiers came to the place where the catechists lived to arrest people. Andrew did not hide. He calmly stepped forward, declared that he was a Catholic, and let them tie him up. He was taken to trial and sentenced to death, but he held on to his faith with all his heart.
On 26 July 1644, Andrew was led to the place of execution. According to Father de Rhodes, who was there that day, he stayed peaceful and kept calling on the name of Jesus until his last breath. He died when he was only about 19. Afterward, his body was taken to Macau.
Father de Rhodes wrote down his story, and thanks to that, the Church has always remembered him. On 5 March 2000, Pope John Paul II declared him Blessed.
Why was he declared Blessed?
Andrew had only been a Christian for a few years, but he truly loved God. When danger came, he did not run away or deny the Lord; he bravely bore witness to his faith. He died in peace, still calling on the name of Jesus. Many young Vietnamese people take him as their model and patron.
A lesson for you
- Study your catechism hard like Andrew, so you can understand and love God more.
- Help others know God: teach younger children to make the Sign of the Cross, invite friends to come to Mass with you.
- When you are teased for practicing your faith, don’t be ashamed: stay calm and quietly call on the name of Jesus.
Identifying marks
- A spear held upright, its point upward: he was pierced with a spear because he refused to give up his faith.
- A martyr’s palm branch: he died for the faith and shares in the victory with God.
- A young man in an indigo áo dài, his hair in a bun: a young catechist of central Vietnam in the 17th century.
- “The first martyr” (*): he is often painted as the one who leads the way for Vietnam’s witnesses of the faith.
(*) Only in some pictures and statues.
The text on this page is the saint card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
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