Blessed Andrew of Phuù Yeân
Blessed Andrew of Phú Yên (Vietnamese: Anrê Phú Yên; born c. 1625 AD in Ran Ran, Phú Yên province, Vietnam; died July 26, 1644 AD in Kẻ Chàm near Hội An, Vietnam) was a young Vietnamese catechist and the first martyr of Vietnam, honored as the "Protomartyr of Vietnam." A convert and disciple of the Jesuit missionary Alexandre de Rhodes, he was beheaded at about nineteen years of age for refusing to renounce the Christian faith. His feast day is July 26.
Andrew of Phú Yên was among the first generation of Vietnamese Catholics evangelized by the Jesuit mission in Cochinchina. As a catechist he taught the faith and assisted the missionaries. Arrested in place of an older catechist the authorities had sought, he went joyfully to his death, exhorting his fellow Christians to keep faith with Christ. He was beatified in 2000.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Andrew of Phuù Yeân
| Blessed Andrew of Phuù Yeân | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | July 26 |
| Profession | Catechist; layman; disciple of the Jesuit mission in Cochinchina |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; early Vietnamese Church; Jesuit mission in Cochinchina |
| Patronage | Catechists; Vietnamese Catholics; Vietnamese youth; Catholic youth |
| Attributes | Palm of martyrdom; youth in Vietnamese dress; sword; catechist's book |
| Birthplace | Ran Ran, Phú Yên province, Cochinchina (Vietnam) |
| Death Place | Kẻ Chàm, near Hội An, Vietnam |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; beheaded for refusing to renounce the Christian faith during the persecution in Cochinchina; young Vietnamese catechist and disciple of the Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes; first martyr of Vietnam |
| Primary Shrine | Vietnam; Hội An region |
Biography
Andrew of Phú Yên was born about 1625 in the province of Phú Yên in Cochinchina, the southern realm of Vietnam then ruled by the Nguyễn lords. He and his widowed mother were among the converts of the Jesuit mission, and he was baptized by the great missionary and linguist Alexandre de Rhodes, who took a particular interest in the boy's intelligence and piety.
Andrew joined the "House of God," a company of native catechists who assisted the missionaries in teaching, translating, and building up the young Church. He was admitted to this group of catechists and consecrated himself to the service of the faith.
In 1644 the local governor moved against the Christians. Soldiers came seeking an older catechist also named Andrew; not finding him, they arrested the young Andrew of Phú Yên instead. He was imprisoned and pressed to renounce Christ, but refused. On July 26, 1644, he was led out and put to death—speared and then beheaded—at Kẻ Chàm near the mission at Hội An, as Alexandre de Rhodes and a crowd of Christians looked on. He is said to have died with the name of Jesus on his lips, urging the faithful to remain constant.
Recognized as the first martyr of Vietnam, he was beatified on March 5, 2000, by Pope John Paul II.
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Feast day
July 26
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