Catholic saint biography
St. Simon Phan Đắc Hòa
- Lived:
- Vietnam
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Biography
Simon Phan Đắc Hòa, also called Phan Khắc Hòa, grew up in a family that did not initially practice Christianity. After his father's death, his mother moved the household several times before they lived with a Catholic family at Như Lý. Simon received instruction and baptism, briefly attended seminary, and then returned to ordinary life to study medicine.
As a physician and father of a large family, Simon helped sick, disabled, and elderly people. He became a local Catholic leader and supported church repairs and religious work during persecution. His final imprisonment ended in a refusal to renounce Christianity and beheading in 1840. He was canonized in 1988.
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What will you carry with you?
After reading about St. Simon Phan Đắc Hòa, 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: Simon Phan Đắc Hòa ↗
- Holy See: individual register of the 117 Vietnamese martyrs (86) ↗
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 86 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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