Blessed Francis Xavier Trương Bửu Diệp
No fixed feast day in the calendar
Blessed Trương Bửu Diệp, parish priest of Tắc Sậy, who gave his life for his flock (1946).
Who is he?
Father Francis Xavier Trương Bửu Diệp was a Vietnamese priest. He was the parish priest of Tắc Sậy (now in Cà Mau province) and died for his flock in 1946. The Church recognizes him as a martyr and has declared him Blessed, the step just before being declared a Saint.
Life story
He was born on 1 January 1897, in the area that is now An Giang province, into a devout Catholic family. He studied at the minor seminary of Cù Lao Giêng, then at the major seminary in Phnom Penh, and was ordained a priest in 1924.
In 1930, he became parish priest of Tắc Sậy, a poor countryside area of rivers and canals. He lived simply and close to the people. He visited the sick, helped the poor, and took care of children and the elderly. He loved everyone equally, including people who were not Catholic, so many people loved him.
In 1946, the country fell into war and chaos. Some people advised him to flee to safety, but he stayed with his parishioners. When many of his parishioners were arrested, Father Diệp offered to suffer in their place so they would be set free. On 12 March 1946, he was killed because he protected his flock and because of his faith.
After his death, many people, both Catholics and non-Catholics, came to Tắc Sậy to pray. The Diocese of Cần Thơ carefully investigated his life and death. On 25 November 2024, Pope Francis approved the publication of the decree recognizing him as a martyr. On 2 July 2026, at Tắc Sậy, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, representing Pope Leo XIV, presided over the ceremony declaring him Blessed. It was the first beatification ever celebrated on Vietnamese soil.
Why was he declared Blessed?
Father Diệp lived exactly by the words of Jesus: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11). He could have run away, but he chose to stay and give his very life for the people God had entrusted to him. The Church recognizes his death as the death of a martyr, and holds him up as an example for all Christians.
A lesson for you
- Love everyone like Father Diệp.
- When friends or younger children are in trouble, don’t walk away: stay and help, or find an adult who can help.
- Pray for priests, especially your parish priest, so that they may always be good shepherds.
Identifying marks
- A martyr’s palm branch: the Church recognizes that he was killed out of hatred for the faith.
- A black cassock and a red stole: he was a priest; red is the color of the martyrs.
- A book in his hand: a prayer book and God’s Word, the prayer life of a shepherd.
- A thin halo: a sign that the Church has declared him Blessed (the thin line is this card set’s own custom, not a general rule of Catholic art).
- A church by the rivers of the Mekong Delta: the parish of Tắc Sậy, where he was parish priest and which is now a place of pilgrimage.
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