Catholic saint biography
St. Matthew Nguyễn Văn Phượng
- Lived:
- Vietnam
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Biography
Matthew Nguyễn Văn Phượng was originally named Đắc and became known by the name of his eldest daughter. Orphaned as a boy, he first studied medicine and then spent several years assisting Father Vincent Điểm. He married, practiced medicine, and later traded successfully. His growing household remained active in Catholic religious life, including assistance to sick and poor neighbors.
Matthew was imprisoned for sheltering Father John Đoàn Trinh Hoan and refusing to step over a cross. In captivity he urged his children to remain united and to continue their faith. The two men's separate escorts met while taking them to execution outside Quảng Bình in 1861. Matthew was beheaded that year and canonized by John Paul II in 1988.
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What will you carry with you?
After reading about St. Matthew Nguyễn Văn Phượng, 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: Matthew Nguyễn Văn Phượng ↗
- Holy See: individual register of the 117 Vietnamese martyrs (100) ↗
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 100 is a distinct individual; source-name variants count as one person.
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