Saint Thomas Toán

Saint Thomas Toán (Vietnamese: Tôma Toán) (born c. 1764 in Cần Phán, Nam Định Province; died June 27, 1840, in Nam Định) was a Vietnamese catechist, Dominican tertiary, martyr, and saint of the Catholic Church. Thomas Toán was born around 1764. At the age of 73, he was imprisoned during the persecution of Christians. As a result of repeated torture, he agreed to trample on a cross. However, he was not released, as the authorities wanted to ensure he had truly renounced his faith. Following his expression of remorse for trampling the cross, he was denied food and died of starvation on June 27, 1840. 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.