We leave Europe behind in Pope Francis’ survey of young saints.
54. Blessed Andrew Phû Yên was a young Vietnamese man of the seventeenth century. He was a catechist and assisted the missionaries. He was imprisoned for his faith, and since he refused to renounce it, he was killed. Andrew died uttering the name of Jesus.
Andrew was beatified by–you guessed it–Pope John Paul II. A young Catholic blogged briefly on him here. The report from a 2000 edition of L’Osservatore Romano is here.
Some things I found interesting:
- Andrew was Jesuit-educated and assisted a missionary in Vietnam in the 1640s.
- Authorities were looking for the local priest, but found and arrested Andrew at the residence instead.
- When convicted of his crime, Andrew accepted his death peacefully, saying, “Let my blood soak into the soil of the Vietnam.”
- The names of Jesus and Mary were on his lips at his execution.
Remember to check Pope Francis’ Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on this link at the Vatican site.
Any comments?
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