Saint Phaolo Le Van Loc

Paul Lê Văn Lộc (born c. 1830 in An Nhơn, Vietnam; died February 13, 1859, in Saigon, Vietnam) was a priest, martyr, and saint of the Catholic Church. Orphaned at the age of 10, Paul Lê Văn Lộc was taken in by a priest who subsequently sent him to a seminary. He was ordained a priest on February 7, 1857, and later became the director of the minor seminary in Thị Nghè. During a period of persecution, he was arrested on December 13, 1858. He was beheaded on February 13, 1859. Christians waited until dusk to retrieve his body and buried it in Chợ Quán. His relics were later moved to a convent in Saigon and are currently kept in the local cathedral. His feast day is November 24, as part of the group of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs. He was beatified by Pope Pius X on May 2, 1909, and canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988, as one of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs.