Saint Lawrence Nguyễn Văn Hưởng

Lawrence Nguyễn Văn Hưởng was born into a poor family in 1802 in Kẻ Sải, Tụy Hiền commune, Hoài Yên district, now in the Archdiocese of Hà Nội. His parents died early, and he went to live with his uncle and spent his days herding buffalo.

At twelve he met Father Tuấn. The priest saw that the boy was bright and took him into the presbytery. Three years of studying Chinese characters there opened a new path for him. He entered the Vĩnh Trị seminary, then served as a catechist at Bạch Bát. Later he was called back for further theology studies and was ordained a priest.

He cared in turn for Giang Sơn, Lạc Thổ, Yên Lộc and Bạch Bát. The faithful remembered his homilies, but even more the times he stopped by to visit the sick and lonely old people, and the hand that was always open to the poor. Perhaps he understood them better than anyone. He himself had been an orphan who lived on the kindness of others.

In 1855, while traveling by boat to bring the sacraments to the faithful, he was arrested. The governor of Ninh Bình tried hard to win him over:

“If you agree to trample on the Cross, I will spare you from death and let you live as a monk at the Non Nước pagoda.”

He replied, simply and honestly:

“I know nothing about the spirits or the Buddha; how could I live in a pagoda?”

The mandarin also raised the rumors going around about Catholics, for instance that they did something strange to the eyes of the dying. He explained patiently, like a teacher with a student:

“Please, mandarin, do not listen to false rumors. We only anoint the eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet with holy oil to ask God to forgive the sins the sick person has committed with them.”

He also told the mandarin that Catholics remember their departed parents and grandparents with gratitude and pray for them. Facing a death sentence, he wanted more than to defend his faith; he wanted others to understand correctly what he believed.

After many interrogations and beatings, the sentence of beheading was sent to the capital. On April 27, 1856, in the reign of Emperor Tự Đức, he was executed in Ninh Bình. The faithful took his body to be buried at Vĩnh Trị, where he had studied in his youth.

He was beatified on May 2, 1909, and canonized on June 19, 1988. His own feast day is April 27.

Father Hưởng’s life came full circle. The buffalo boy who once needed others to take him in grew up to take in so many others. And when he was offered an easy way out, he chose to stay with the One who had taken him in from the very beginning.