Saint Matthew Nguyễn Văn Ðắc

Saint Matthew Nguyễn Văn Đắc (Phượng) (born c. 1808 in Kẻ Lài, Quảng Bình province, Vietnam; died May 26, 1861, near Đồng Hới, Quảng Bình province, Vietnam) was a martyr and a saint of the Catholic Church. He was originally named Matthew Nguyễn Văn Kế, but changed his name to Đắc in his youth. Later in life, after he was married and had children, he was known by the local custom as Phượng, after his eldest son. Matthew Nguyễn Văn Kế was born into a Catholic family; his father, Nguyễn Văn Bường, was a soldier. Orphaned at a young age, Matthew had to begin working early. He studied medicine under a doctor named Nhu. After marrying at the age of 22, he began practicing medicine himself and lived in the home of his father-in-law, a corporal named Khiêm. After several years, he turned to trade, which proved successful. He had eight children. On January 2, 1861, Father John Đoàn Trinh Hoan arrived in Sáo Bùn and stayed at his home. The following night, soldiers arrived and arrested the priest, Matthew Nguyễn Văn Đắc, and seven other parishioners. Despite being tortured, Matthew Nguyễn Văn Đắc did not renounce his faith. He was beheaded alongside John Đoàn Trinh Hoan. His feast day is November 24, as part of the group of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs. He was beatified on May 2, 1909, by Pope Pius X and canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988, as one of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs.