Catholic saint biography
St. Joseph Trần Văn Tuân
- Lived:
- Vietnam
A scoped Catholic liturgical calendar date has not been verified. The page heading and execution anniversary are not treated as a feast; a shared celebration requires its own calendar citation.
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Biography
Joseph Trần Văn Tuân belonged to the Catholic community of Nam Điền in Nam Định. His parents held a respected place in the local church, and he grew up during restrictions on Christian practice. When persecution intensified in 1861 and 1862, some believers sought refuge elsewhere. Joseph remained in his home community and was arrested with other villagers.
His captors repeatedly demanded that he step across a cross as a sign of abandoning Christianity. He endured imprisonment and beatings without complying. Several journeys to the execution ground were initially used to frighten the prisoners; on the final occasion Joseph raised the cross and prayed. He was beheaded in 1862 and canonized in 1988.
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What will you carry with you?
After reading about St. Joseph Trần Văn Tuân, take a moment to consider:
- Which event or decision in this life stood out to you?
- What virtue would you like to understand or practice more deeply?
- What small action could you take today in response?
These are reflection prompts from Saint Discovery, not quotations from the saint.
Sources and further reading
- Archdiocese of Hanoi: Joseph Trần Văn Tuân ↗
- Holy See: individual register of the 117 Vietnamese martyrs (102) ↗
Biography source comparison recorded on . This is an AI-assisted comparison, not independent human or ecclesiastical approval.
What the recorded review covers
Individual Catholic institutional source review; original concise factual summary. AI-assisted institutional-source comparison; no qualified human review is claimed. Compared canonical and source names, aliases, clergy or lay status, family relationships and martyrdom details against all 685 baseline canonical or archived identities (625 published) and all prior directory batches. Holy See register number 102 is a distinct individual; source-name variants count as one person. The index and URL give 1825–1859, while the individual heading and account give 1832–1862. The local page gives June 7 and the Vatican January 7 for death in 1862; only the year is used. Life-year range withheld. He is distinct from priest Joseph Tuân (Vatican 56).
A source list helps you check an account; it does not establish that every claim is certain. Follow the biography’s qualifications about historical evidence, traditions and feast calendars.
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