The 117 Vietnamese Martyrs: History, Persecution and Canonization

The 117 Vietnamese Martyrs were bishops, priests, missionaries, catechists, a seminarian, and lay Catholics who gave their lives for their Christian faith in Vietnam. They included 96 Vietnamese, 11 Spanish Dominicans, and 10 French missionaries of the Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP).

They lived and bore witness to their faith during periods of Christian persecution in Vietnam from the 17th to the 19th centuries. They were canonized together by Pope St. John Paul II on June 19, 1988, and are commemorated by the Catholic Church on November 24 as St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc and Companions, Martyrs.

The 117 Vietnamese Martyrs at a Glance

Key Fact	Details
Total canonized martyrs	117
Vietnamese	96
Spanish Dominicans	11
French MEP missionaries	10
Martyrdom period	17th–19th centuries (1745–1862)
Canonized	19 June 1988, by Pope Saint John Paul II
Liturgical memorial	24 November

Who Were the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs?

Despite the name “Vietnamese Martyrs,” not all 117 were Vietnamese by birth.

Among them were 96 Vietnamese Catholics: 37 priests and 59 lay faithful. The lay martyrs came from different walks of life and included one seminarian, 16 catechists, and 10 members of the Dominican Third Order. Among them was St. Agnes Lê Thị Thành (Anê Lê Thị Thành), a wife and mother of six children and the only woman among the 117 martyrs.

St. Agnes Lê Thị Thành (1781–1841), the only woman among the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs

The remaining 21 were European missionaries who served the Church in Vietnam: 11 Spanish Dominicans, including six bishops and five priests, and 10 French missionaries of the Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP), including two bishops and eight priests.

The title “Vietnamese Martyrs” therefore refers to their shared witness within the history of the Catholic Church in Vietnam, rather than to nationality alone. Vietnamese Catholics and foreign missionaries lived, served, suffered, and ultimately gave their lives for the same faith.

The Historical Context of the Vietnamese Martyrs

Christianity began to spread in Vietnam from the 16th century, and Catholic communities gradually developed through the ministry of missionaries, Vietnamese priests and catechists, together with the witness of lay Catholics.

Over the following centuries, the Church in Vietnam experienced repeated periods of persecution, with intervals of relative peace. Many Catholics faced arrest, imprisonment, exile, torture, and death because of their faith.

The 117 canonized martyrs belonged to different periods of Vietnamese history. According to historical records of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam, they are traditionally grouped according to the rulers during whose reigns their martyrdoms took place:

Historical Period	Reign	Number of Martyrs
Lord Trịnh Doanh	1740–1767	2
Lord Trịnh Sâm	1767–1782	2
Emperor Cảnh Thịnh	1782–1802	2
Emperor Minh Mạng	1820–1841	58
Emperor Thiệu Trị	1841–1847	3
Emperor Tự Đức	1847–1883	50
Total	117

Note: The dates above indicate the reign of each ruler, not the individual dates of martyrdom.

Many of the martyrs were imprisoned and pressured to renounce their Christian faith. Yet they chose to remain faithful to Christ despite the consequences. Their stories include not only bishops and priests, but also catechists and ordinary lay Catholics from different walks of life.

The 117 saints do not represent the total number of Christians who suffered martyrdom in Vietnam. Historical estimates vary considerably. Vatican News notes estimates ranging from approximately 100,000 to 300,000 martyrs during the wider history of Christian persecution in Vietnam. The 117 are those whose martyrdom was formally recognized by the Church and who, after being beatified in four separate groups, were canonized together in 1988.

From Martyrdom to Canonization

The 117 were not recognized as saints all at once.

Before their canonization, they were beatified in four separate groups:

• 64 martyrs – beatified by Pope Leo XIII on 27 May, 1900
• 8 martyrs – beatified by Pope Pius X on 20 May, 1906
• 20 martyrs – beatified by Pope Pius X on 2 May, 1909
• 25 martyrs – beatified by Pope Pius XII on 29 April, 1951

Together, these four groups comprise the 117 Martyrs of Vietnam.

A historic moment for the Catholic Church in Vietnam came on 19 June 1988, when Pope Saint John Paul II canonized all 117 martyrs together at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

The Canonization Mass of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs at St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, June 19, 1988.

During the canonization celebration, Pope Saint John Paul II addressed the Church and people of Vietnam while also recalling the contribution of the Spanish and French missionaries who had served the Church there. The canonization brought together Vietnamese and European martyrs whose lives had become part of the same history of Christian faith in Vietnam.

The Legacy of the Vietnamese Martyrs Today

The Vietnamese Martyrs are more than figures from a distant period of persecution. For Catholics in Vietnam, they remain an important part of the spiritual heritage and history of the Catholic Church in Vietnam.

Their stories also show how deeply the Catholic faith had taken root within Vietnamese Christian communities. The martyrs were not only foreign missionaries. The great majority were Vietnamese — priests, catechists, a seminarian, and lay Catholics from many different walks of life.

At the same time, the presence of the presence of 21 Spanish Dominican and French MEP missionaries among the 117 reflects the international missionary history of Catholicism in Vietnam.

Today, churches, shrines, pilgrimage sites, and places associated with the lives and martyrdom of these saints  can still be found across the country. For Catholic pilgrims visiting Vietnam, understanding their stories adds a deeper spiritual and historical dimension to many of these destinations.

Behind the number 117 are 117 individual stories of faith. In the next articles in this series, we will explore them more closely through the stories of the 96 Vietnamese saints and the 21 Spanish and French missionary saints.

Frequently Asked Questions About the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs

Who were the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs?

They were 117 Catholics who gave their lives for the Christian faith during periods of persecution in Vietnam. The group includes 96 Vietnamese, 11 Spanish Dominicans and 10 French MEP missionaries

When were the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs canonized?

They were canonized together by Pope St. John Paul II on June 19, 1988.

When is the feast of the Vietnamese Martyrs?

The Catholic Church commemorates St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc and Companions, Martyrs, on November 24.

Was Blessed Andrew of Phú Yên one of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs?

No. Blessed Andrew of Phú Yên, the Protomartyr of Vietnam, was martyred on 26 July 1644. He is not one of the 117 martyrs canonized in 1988.

Was Blessed Trương Bửu Diệp one of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs?

No. Blessed Francis Xavier Trương Bửu Diệp was killed in 1946 and beatified in 2026. His martyrdom belongs to a much later period in the history of the Catholic Church in Vietnam, and he is not part of the 117.

Source: This article is compiled from official Catholic Church sources, including Vatican News and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam (HĐGMVN).

Discover more stories and Catholic sites connected with the Vietnamese Martyrs in Vietnam. Vietnam Catholic Tours will continue to update this collection as we share more about other martyrs, saints, and their pilgrimage sites: EXPLORE THE VIETNAMESE MARTYRS

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