Memorial of Saint Andrew Dŭng-Lạc and Companions
Witnesses of Christ in the Soil of Vietnam
Each year on November 24, the Church pauses to honor Saint Andrew Dŭng-Lạc and the 116 companions who sealed their faith with their blood in Vietnam. Their story rises like a bright flame against the backdrop of a difficult century, and it reminds us that the Gospel always takes root through ordinary people who love Christ more than comfort, reputation, or safety.
Andrew Dŭng-Lạc began life in poverty. Born in 1795, he was baptized as a young man and eventually ordained a diocesan priest. His name was changed to “Andrew” at baptism; “Lạc” is the family name he later adopted to conceal himself during persecutions. His ministry was simple and steady: preaching, baptizing, teaching the catechism, and offering the sacraments in small villages scattered across northern Vietnam. His faith had a quiet strength, like a lantern that keeps its glow even when the wind picks up.
The persecutions that swept Vietnam between the 17th and 19th centuries were fierce. Churches were destroyed, Christian villages were scattered, and both clergy and laity were hunted. Yet the faith endured because countless believers — catechists, farmers, mothers, merchants, seminarians, bishops — chose fidelity over fear. The Church remembers them together as the Martyrs of Vietnam: 96 Vietnamese, 11 Spanish Dominicans and Augustinians, and 10 French missionaries. Their unity in suffering shows the Church’s universal heartbeat: one faith, many cultures, all grafted to Christ.
Andrew was arrested several times. Each time he returned to his people, choosing to evangelize quietly but fearlessly. In 1839, he and a fellow priest, Peter Thi, were captured, tortured, and ultimately beheaded for refusing to renounce the faith. Pope John Paul II canonized them, along with their companions, in 1988.
The Vietnamese martyrs do not appear as distant heroes carved in marble. They stand near us, reminding us that holiness is forged in daily discipleship. Their courage was strengthened by the same sacraments we receive. Their love was anchored in the same Christ who meets us at the altar. Their perseverance grew from habits of prayer, charity, and fidelity — the same path laid before every Christian today.
As we celebrate their memorial, we ask for the grace they lived so well: a heart steady in Christ, a faith unashamed, and a love strong enough to endure whatever may come. May Saint Andrew Dŭng-Lạc and his companions intercede for the Church in Vietnam and for all who face persecution around the world. And may their witness stir in us the quiet bravery of true disciples.
In Christ,
Fr. Joe Connelly