Catholic saint biography
St. Paul Phạm Khắc Khoan
- Lived:
- 1771-1840 — 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
Paul Phạm Khắc Khoan was born into a family that initially did not practice Christianity. After the household moved to Trại Bò, a priest instructed and baptized its members. Paul then entered the priest's household to prepare for church service. He became a catechist with responsibilities at Vĩnh Trị and later a priest, known for a simple manner of life and assistance to poor people.
Paul was imprisoned with the catechists Peter Hiếu and John Baptist Thanh. Their interrogations and eventual executions belonged to the same episode of persecution. On the journey to the execution ground the three prayed together, while Paul encouraged the Catholics who followed them. He was beheaded in 1840. He was canonized in 1988.
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What will you carry with you?
After reading about St. Paul Phạm Khắc Khoan, 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: Paul Phạm Khắc Khoan ↗
- Holy See: individual register of the 117 Vietnamese martyrs (35) ↗
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 35 is a distinct individual; source-name variants count as one person.
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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