Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc
Feast day: November 24
Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc, Vietnamese priest and martyr, with his 116 fellow martyrs (24/11)
Who is he?
Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc was a Vietnamese priest who was martyred in 1839. His name is used for all 117 Vietnamese Martyrs together, whom the Church in Vietnam celebrates solemnly every year on 24 November.
Life story
He was born around 1795 in Bắc Ninh, into a poor family that did not yet know God, and his name was Trần An Dũng. When he was little, his family took him to Kẻ Chợ, which is Hanoi today. There, a catechist took him in and raised him. The boy learned the faith and was baptized with the saint’s name Andrew.
When he grew up, he became a catechist, someone who helps the priest teach the catechism to everyone. In 1823, he was ordained a priest. He lived simply, preached diligently and loved his people very much.
Under King Minh Mạng, the Catholic faith was strictly banned. Priests had to go into hiding, but he still quietly went from village to village to celebrate Mass, give the sacraments and strengthen the faith of the people. He was arrested several times, and the faithful collected money to buy his freedom. To avoid being hunted down, he changed his name to Lạc, which is why people usually call him Andrew Dũng-Lạc.
The last time he was arrested, he was imprisoned and pressured to give up his faith, but he stayed completely faithful to God. On 21 December 1839, he was beheaded at Ô Cầu Giấy, Hanoi, together with Father Peter Trương Văn Thi.
On 19 June 1988, Pope John Paul II canonized him together with 116 other martyrs. Among them were bishops, priests, catechists and lay people, including fathers of families and one mother, Saint Agnes Lê Thị Thành.
Why is he a saint?
Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc gave his whole life to serving God and the faithful, even though he knew he was always in danger. When he had to choose between his life and his faith, he chose Jesus. The Church honors him because he bore witness to the Lord with his own life.
A lesson for you
- The faith you have was kept safe and handed down to you by your grandparents and parents through many trials. Treasure it and live it joyfully.
- Be brave about showing that you are Catholic: make the Sign of the Cross before meals, and go to Sunday Mass faithfully.
- Pray for the priests who serve your parish.
Identifying marks
- A red stole over a black áo dài, with a khăn đóng (turban) on his head: he was a Vietnamese priest; red is the color of the martyrs.
- A wooden cross held close to his chest: he was faithful to Jesus crucified until death.
- A martyr’s palm branch: the sign of someone who died for the faith and shares in the victory with God.
- Among the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs (*): he is painted in group pictures of the martyrs, because the Church honors them together as “Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc and Companions.”
(*) 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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