Saint Jan Dat

Saint John Đạt (Vietnamese: Gioan Đạt) (born c. 1765 in Khê Câu, Thanh Hóa Province, Vietnam – died October 28, 1798, in Chợ Rạ, Thanh Hóa Province, Vietnam) was a priest, martyr, and saint of the Catholic Church. John Đạt was born in Khê Câu, Thanh Hóa Province. At a young age, with his mother's consent, he decided to dedicate his life to God. At 18, he entered the major seminary. He assisted in the work of various parishes and was ordained a priest in 1798, after which he was assigned to the Hảo Nho parish. About six months later, the ruler of Vietnam decided to intensify the persecution of Christians. Authorities sent troops to capture Catholics, especially priests. Consequently, John Đạt had to hide in the forests for a long time. Whenever circumstances allowed, he returned to the parish to administer the sacraments. Eventually, his persecutors succeeded in arresting him. Despite being tortured, he could not be forced to renounce his faith. A woman who was not a Christian, seeing his suffering, offered him poison, but John Đạt refused to take it. He was executed on October 28, 1798. His relics were placed in the parish church in Phúc Nhạc. His feast day is November 24, as part of the group of 117 Vietnamese Martyrs. He was beatified on May 27, 1900, by Leo XIII and canonized by John Paul II on June 19, 1988, as one of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs.