To this day, all priests who came from the Penang Seminary in Malaysia know of the school’s first martyr-hero, Father Philipphê Minh. A bust of him still stands in the school courtyard, and his statue remains in the chapel. The educated Vietnamese people of that time could not forget the name Minh, because his name was associated with Bishop Taberd’s great Annamite-Latin dictionary.
Bishop Lefevre, the first bishop of the Diocese of Saigon, wrote about Father Minh’s profession of faith in these words:
“Philipphê Minh was born in western South Vietnam to Catholic parents who were well known for their piety and faithfulness during the persecution. As a child, he followed Bishop Taberd, the bishop responsible for all of South Vietnam. Because of his outstanding intelligence, the bishop accepted him into the seminary. In 1833, when Minh Mệnh fiercely persecuted the Church, the school had to be dissolved. The bishop brought him to Siam for refuge and later sent him to the Southeast Asian seminary in Penang. There, after Minh completed his theology studies, Bishop Taberd, who at that time was receiving medical treatment in Calcutta, India, and was compiling a dictionary, called him to assist him. In 1840, Bishop Taberd passed away, and Minh returned to Penang Seminary to continue his studies… He returned to Vietnam and was ordained a priest in 1846…”
Father Minh’s parents were Dominic Phan Văn Đức and Anna Tiếu, from Cái Mơn village, Mỏ Cầy district, in what is now Vĩnh Long province. They were leaders of their Christian community and had fourteen children. Father Minh was the twelfth child. His parents died early, so his eldest sister had to care for the younger siblings. Minh was raised by Bishop Taberd from the age of thirteen. While studying in Penang, he served as head student for many years and was admired by his fellow seminarians.
After returning to Vietnam as a deacon, Minh carried out apostolic work in Bổn Quán for a time. Then the Holy Father divided the new vicariate in South Vietnam, and Bishop Lefebvre, who at that time was imprisoned in Huế, was chosen as Bishop of the Diocese of Saigon. Father Miche sent Deacon Minh to Huế to visit the bishop and receive his direction regarding ordination. Bishop Lefebvre then asked Bishop Cuénot Thể to ordain Minh a priest at Gia Hựu in 1846, when Minh was thirty-one years old.
During the persecution, the missionaries and the bishop had to hide. Because of Father Minh’s outstanding virtues, the bishop entrusted him with the authority to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation. Father Minh traveled tirelessly to many Christian communities, strengthening the faithful in their faith. He visited the communities of Đầu Nước, Xoài Mút, Chợ Bưng, Ba Giồng, Cái Mơn, Bãi Xan, Chà Và, and Mặc Bắc.
In 1848, Emperor Tự Đức issued his first decree against the Catholic faith and ordered that missionaries be thrown into the river if captured. In 1851, he issued an even stricter order requiring provincial governors to eradicate Christianity. During these difficult years, Father Minh carried out his duties with zeal, courage, and without fear. Everyone admired him so much that they praised him with these words: “Father is gentle and virtuous; he represents God, and truly he is gentle like Jesus.”
In a special way, Father Minh cared deeply about seeking out vocations so that there would be more priests to work in the Lord’s vineyard. Father Giacôbê Binh, Father Minh’s beloved disciple, recounted his advice:
“Father has raised many students, but I am not sure whether any of them will be able to follow in Father’s footsteps. Therefore, you must pray diligently to the Blessed Mother and strive to practice the virtues, so that the Lord may call you to continue Father’s work… Follow God’s grace and persevere in your studies, so that later you may become a priest…”
In 1852, Father Borelle, who was in charge of the Cái Nhum region, heard that someone had denounced Father Minh. He sent someone to Mặc Bắc to replace Father Lựu, who had also been denounced in that area. At the end of December, Father Minh arrived at the Mặc Bắc community and stayed in the home of Mr. Lựu, the community leader, who would later also become a martyr.
In Mặc Bắc, there was a Catholic man who gambled and worked as a cook for the authorities; therefore, he was called Bếp Nhẫn. Because he was short of money, he came to borrow from Father Lựu, but Father Lựu refused to support his bad habit. Because of this, Bếp Nhẫn became resentful and reported Father Lựu to the authorities. Father Lựu had to flee to Ba Giồng, and Father Minh came to replace him. Bếp Nhẫn then plotted with Xã Hiệp and Lý Vắp to lead soldiers from Vĩnh Long province to surround the Mặc Bắc Christian community and arrest Father Lựu.
That day was Saturday, February 26. Evening prayers had just ended when soldiers rushed into Mr. Lựu’s house. They shouted, fired guns, and lit fires. Mr. Lựu told Father Minh that the provincial officials had come to arrest him because they had a speaking trumpet. Father Minh replied:
“If the officials arrest me, then so be it. God’s holy will has already determined it.”
Father Minh sent someone to notify the convent so they could flee and hide the sacred objects. Mr. Lựu went out to open the door and asked the officials:
“Why have you come to my house at night, sir?”
The military commander answered:
“I have orders from the provincial governor to arrest the priest Lựu.”
Mr. Lựu replied:
“There is no priest Lựu here. Lựu is my name.”
The soldiers then seized and tied up the whole household. Seeing this, Father Minh came forward and surrendered himself, saying:
“If you are looking for a priest, I am the priest. Please release these people.”
Father Minh was tied to a pillar in the house because the officials said that Catholics had supernatural powers. The official kept questioning him about the priest named Lựu. Father Minh answered:
“I am the priest, and Lựu is the name of the owner of this house.”
The commander had been ordered to arrest the priest Lựu, but the priest who had been arrested was Minh, while Lựu was the homeowner. Because of this, he became suspicious and questioned him more carefully:
“The priest’s name is Lựu. If your name is not Lựu, then where is Father Lựu?”
The soldiers also searched through the sacred objects and found a musical instrument. They reported to the official:
“The priest has many strange objects.”
Pointing to the instrument, the official asked:
“How do you make it sound?”
Seeing their ignorance, Father Minh smiled and said:
“Turn the mechanism and it will make sound.”
The official ordered Father Minh untied and told him to make the instrument play. Meanwhile, the soldiers continued searching the convent and the houses of the lay leaders. They arrested four men: Xã Kim, Hương Sĩ, Phó Tổng Trị, and Lý Cai. The official rebuked the leaders for not denouncing the priest and had them beaten. The faithful had to bring money to bribe the official so that some people would be released. In the end, only Father Minh and six others were taken away.
On the third day, the commander brought the Catholic prisoners to Long Vĩnh and handed them over to the provincial officials. In the governor’s residence, Đốc Lý, Judge Doãn, and the official Hoài interrogated Father Minh:
“What is your name, and where are you from?”
“My name is Philipphê Minh. I am from Cái Mơn village. My parents both died early.”
“Did you study in the West?”
“I studied for seven years under Bishop Taberd, but he has now passed away.”
“How did you return here?”
“After completing my studies, I came back by traveling on a trading boat. That boat was not from here, but from Huế.”
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“I have an elderly sister, but when she heard that I had been arrested, I do not know where she fled.”
“Who brought you to Mặc Bắc?”
“I traveled with two companions. No one brought me. I was visiting Christian communities, staying five days in one place, seven days in another, and then moving elsewhere.”
The officials continued questioning him in order to find ways to arrest more people. The more people they arrested, the more bribe money they could receive, according to an old practice known as “tiêu xưng.” People also used to say that it was a misfortune to have to appear before the officials’ court. Understanding this helps us see that Father Minh’s answers were meant to avoid implicating others.
Unable to discover the locations of other priests, the officials asked where the sacred objects came from. Father Minh answered:
“The sacred objects are mine. Some were given to me, and some I purchased.”
“What are those objects used for?”
“They are used for worship.”
The official ordered Father Minh to put on the vestments for him to see, but Father Minh replied:
“There is no reason for me to put on those sacred garments merely for the officials to look at for amusement.”
At that moment, Bếp Nhẫn told the official that he also knew how to celebrate Mass like the priests. He then put on the vestments, turned around back and forth for the officials to see, and they all laughed. Finally, the official said:
“Why do you serve as a priest? Abandon the religion and become an official.”
“Whether you release me or arrest me is your affair. I will never abandon the faith.”
“If you step over the cross, you will be free to go home and practice medicine.”
“There is no way I will step over the cross. I teach the faithful, and even they would not dare to commit such a terrible act, much less I myself. Whatever way you arrest or kill me, I am willing to accept it.”
Afterward, the officials questioned the lay leaders and ordered heavy iron-covered stocks to be made. They imprisoned them at Vĩnh Tiền camp near the governor’s residence so they could be questioned more easily.
Each day, the officials called all the prisoners, or sometimes only one or two of them, to be questioned and tempted to deny the faith. The officials also asked their clerks to persuade Father Minh to renounce the faith so that he could be released.
Father Minh himself wrote to the bishop about the tortures and imprisonment:
“The governor questioned me for several days, then ordered that an image of redemption be placed on the ground before me and told me to step over it. When I heard those words, I was deeply saddened and cried out to the Lord: ‘Lord, since You have determined that I must endure this trial, please grant me the strength to overcome this temptation, and do not let me be unfaithful or ungrateful to You. Lord, have mercy on me.’ I truly know that God helped me and gave me courage so that I was not afraid. I said to the official: ‘Your Excellency, I dare not do this. Please do not force me to commit such a terrible act, because our religion teaches us to venerate this sign of the holy cross. I have kept this faith since childhood. How could I dare trample it underfoot?’ The governor shouted for the soldiers to drag me over the image. They grabbed both ends of the wooden stocks and carried me across, but I kept my legs lifted up.”
The official also told Father Minh that he did not need to step on the image; he only needed to say that he had left the religion, and he would be released. Father Minh replied:
“I cannot do that either, because it would be a sin of betrayal against God, against my teachers, and it would make me a deceitful man. As a religious leader, to say that I am not a religious leader would be to deceive everyone.”
The official tried another way to persuade him, telling him to declare that the sacred objects had been entrusted to him by a Western priest. That way, the officials could release him without fearing that they had disobeyed the emperor’s order. Father Minh firmly answered:
“Please consider my case. I cannot make a false statement. If you condemn me to be beheaded, I am willing. But to testify falsely as you instruct me, I dare not.”
Seeing that they could not shake this brave soldier of Christ, the officials ordered him imprisoned in Tuyển Phong prison to await sentencing. At first, Father Minh suffered greatly in prison, but later the guards allowed him some ease. He often comforted the lay leaders who had been arrested with him. He also told the faithful to arrange money so that the lay leaders might be released, but the officials required them to abandon the faith first. Father Minh told them not to waste money uselessly; whatever God allowed, they should accept.
Father Minh also advised them to forgive those who had caused them suffering. Bếp Nhẫn and Xã Hiệp repented and came to ask Father Minh for forgiveness. Father forgave them completely and even gave money to Bếp Nhẫn. While in prison, Father Minh sent word for the faithful to come to confession, receive Confirmation, and obtain the plenary indulgence. Father Lựu also disguised himself and entered the prison to visit Father Minh and give him absolution.
The officials gathered to write Father Minh’s sentence as follows:
“Phan Văn Minh, thirty-eight years old, is a religious leader. Because he boldly went to study in the West, becoming a disciple of Phú Hoài Từ [Bishop Taberd], and later becoming a disciple of Phú Hoài Ngãi [Bishop Lefebvre]. Furthermore, when Phú Hoài Ngãi was imprisoned in Huế, he boldly went to visit him and also received the office of religious leader. He then traveled to many places preaching the religion and persuading the people to follow the false religion. Finally, he came to Long Định village in the Mặc Bắc region and established a religious house there. We have now ordered him to abandon that wicked and detestable superstition and to step over the cross, but he refused to obey. Therefore, we judge him to be guilty of violating the laws of the kingdom, committing a very serious offense, and we sentence him to exile in Sơn Tây, according to the command previously given by the emperor. As for the six accomplices, we sentence them to be beaten with rods and then sent back to their home villages.”
Father Minh learned that he was to be exiled rather than receive the grace of martyrdom. He comforted the lay leaders:
“My brothers, please endure every hardship for the name of the holy religion of God. You will be beaten one hundred strokes and then return home. As for me, I must be exiled to a distant place. I am still glad, so that God’s name may be glorified. I am sad about only one thing: as a shepherd, I will no longer be able to care for, help, and teach the sheep.”
Father Minh also wrote to Father Borelle:
“Dear Father, I ask you to pray for me so that I may joyfully endure every hardship sent by God. Even if I must be exiled, I am still willing, as long as you pray for me and ask God to help me. Then every hardship will become something good.”
But God’s holy will had determined otherwise. The royal court reviewed the sentence from the Vĩnh Long officials and did not approve it. They argued:
“This religious leader went to the West from childhood and studied there for many years, so he has absorbed Western ways. Moreover, he is a religious leader, and therefore must be considered a Western religious leader. The sentence must therefore be changed to immediate beheading, with his head thrown into the river.”
The officials changed his name in the sentence to Phỉ Nhật.
The royal sentence arrived in Vĩnh Long on the evening of Saturday, July 2. The next morning, Sunday, the Feast of the Precious Blood of Jesus, the governor ordered his execution. The supervising official saw a Catholic and told him that if the faithful wanted to preserve the priest’s blood, they had to quickly prepare cloth and cotton. Father Minh had sent word to Father Borelle to arrange for a priest to hear his confession. At the same time, he entrusted his final words to Mr. Lựu.
Before being led to the execution ground, Father Minh comforted the lay leaders who were still imprisoned:
“My beloved brothers, God wants me to offer my life to Him so that the holy faith may be glorified. I joyfully obey God’s will. Before I leave you, I ask you, no matter what sufferings you must endure, to remain faithful and persevere in the faith. Trust in God’s help, and He will not abandon you.”
The entire prison became like a house of mourning. Everyone wept with sorrow. Father Minh put on his long robe and, holding a rosary in his hand, followed the military commander Mô. He spoke his final words to the weeping lay leaders:
“For so long, father and children have lived together. Now father goes ahead. You brothers must live in harmony and love one another.”
At first, the executioner tied Father Minh so tightly across the chest that it caused great pain. Everyone was saddened and asked the official to loosen the rope, saying that the priest was willingly accepting death and would not run away. First, they brought Father Minh before the governor. The governor ordered the sentence tablet to be brought out for Father Minh to see, but Father said there was no need to see it, because he had long been willing to die.
The sentence tablet read:
“Vĩnh Thành village. The false-religion leader Phỉ Nhật refuses to step over the cross. According to the law, he is to be beheaded immediately, and his head thrown into the river as a warning to the people. Sixth year of Tự Đức, fifth month, twenty-seventh day.”
This meant that Father Minh was to be beheaded, and his head thrown into the river so the people would be afraid.
Father walked slowly between two lines of about sixty soldiers dressed in red and holding swords and spears. At the front was the person carrying the sentence tablet. Immediately before Father walked the executioner holding a sword. Behind him was another man holding a sword and rope. At the end were the supervising official Mô, ông hạp Diêu, and ông hạp Chất, all riding horses.
A large crowd of Catholics and non-Catholics followed behind, because no priest had ever been executed there before. The procession went out through the back gate, circled around the citadel, passed the front, and headed toward the Long Hồ River. After crossing the river, the official saw that Father Minh was tired and sweating heavily, since it was nearly noon. He ordered a rest and had a final meal prepared for the condemned man. Father Minh told the official that this was the hour for him to attend to his own spiritual matters and that he no longer needed food or drink.
The supervising official ordered them to go farther, all the way to the Cái Sơn Bé canal, at the place called Đình Khao. There he ordered the procession to stop and had mats laid out for the hero of faith to kneel for his beheading. A soldier laid down two mats. Xã Phương added a flowered mat and a blanket. Father Minh stepped forward and knelt in the center. He asked for half an hour to pray. During that time, Xã Phương scattered flowers brought by Mrs. Lựu around the place where Father knelt.
The supervising official called everyone to move away, then asked Xã Phương:
“The law of the state says his head must be thrown into the river. How much do you want to pay to redeem it?”
Xã Phương asked to redeem it for three quan. The other two officials also agreed and said:
“The king ordered that the head be thrown into the river, but we will allow the people to redeem it as an act of mercy.”
Father Minh left his rosary to ông Phương. Ông Phương came to receive it and bowed before Father. Devout women also came to bow before him and wept, causing even non-Catholics and the supervising official to shed tears.
Father Minh prayed aloud:
“Mother Mary, pray for me in this dangerous hour of death. Lord, have mercy on me. Lord, grant me the strength to suffer for the glory of Your name.”
The executioner placed a board across Father’s shoulders to cut the chains. Another man tied up his hair, and another bound him tightly. Though the sun had been shining, the sky suddenly grew dark. The official was amazed but still shouted:
“False religion — behead him!”
In only one stroke of the sword, the blood of the holy and heroic priest was poured out, mingling with the Blood of Jesus as an offering pleasing to God the Father. That day was July 3, 1853.
Catholics and non-Catholics alike rushed to soak up his blood. Mrs. Lựu tried to prevent them, but they struggled to take what they could. After redeeming Father Minh’s head, the lay leaders sewed it back onto his body and brought him down to the boat. They placed him in a coffin together with the blood-soaked flowers, covered it with mats, and brought him back to Cái Nhum.
Meanwhile, in Cái Nhum, someone saw a white cloud in the sky and cried out that Father Minh had been executed in the province. A short time later, the boat carrying Father Minh’s body arrived. Three priests — Father Gioan Thiềng, Father Phaolô Lượng, and Father Laurensô Lân — were present to celebrate the funeral Mass. After the Mass, they quietly brought his body back to Cái Mơn. That night, however, non-Catholics spread word that there was a great funeral procession on the river, with lamps shining from the front of the boat to the back.
Father Minh’s body was buried beneath the floor of the old church of the Cái Mơn community. God allowed this first martyr to work many miracles, and these miracles often involved objects connected to him that suddenly shone with a mysterious light.
