Today's post is for my dear friend, Matthew, who I saw at Church tonight. Happy Feast of St. Cecilia, to you, too, Matthew. I don't get to talk to you nearly enough, but you are very popular, and I cannot compete with your fan club. So here is a little patron for you . . .
St. Matthew Nguyen Van Phoung was one of the martyrs of Vietnam that we discussed earlier this month. He was born in Vietnam in 1801. When his parents died, he was raised by the local priest. Matthew married and became a devoted lay catechist. One of his tasks was finding homes where priests could say Mass. In a country with a long history of religious persecution, this took a lot of courage.
Before Mass one day in Advent 1860, rumors were heard that the authorities were looking for Matthew. He and the priest went into hiding for five months before they were tracked down. Their captors marked a cross on the ground and demanded that the priest and layman stomp on it as a sign that they renounced their faith. They both refused and were beheaded on the spot.
St. Matthew Phoung's Feast Day is May 26. He has descendants now living in the U.S. - check out this article: 'Faith calls for sacrifice': Oregon family descended from martyr-saint | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org)
St. Matthew Phoung, pray for us.
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