Saint Agnes Lê Thi Than

Anne or Agnes Lê Thi Than, also known as Agnes Dê, was a Vietnamese Christian born in 1781 in northern Cochinchina. She was tortured and killed on July 12, 1841, in Ninh Bình province, Tonkin, for hiding Christian priests. Recognized as a martyr, she was beatified by Pope Pius X on May 2, 1909. She was subsequently canonized by Pope John Paul II at Saint Peter's in Rome on June 19, 1988, alongside 116 other Vietnamese martyrs. She is the only laywoman in this group of martyrs. Saint Agnes Lê Thi Than is commemorated individually on July 12, the anniversary of her death, and collectively on November 24, the feast day of the Vietnamese Martyrs.