Francis Xavier Trương Bửu Diệp

After his ordination in 1924, Father Trương Bửu Diệp began his pastoral ministry as a vicar in Cambodia (notably in the parish of Hố Trư) from 1924 to 1927. From 1928 to 1929, he taught as a professor at the minor seminary of Cù Lao Giêng. In March 1930, he was appointed parish priest of Tắc Sậy (Bạc Liêu province, Vietnam), a pastoral charge he would fulfill with dedication for sixteen years. In his parish, Father Diệp distinguished himself by his tireless pastoral zeal and his great simplicity of life. He dedicated himself entirely to the service of the poor, the sick, children, and those marginalized by war and social instability. He founded several small communities and chapels in the region, striving to build churches, schools, and infrastructure to improve the daily lives of his parishioners. His welcome was unconditional: he opened the doors of his parish to all, without distinction of religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation.

At the end of the Second World War and the beginning of the First Indochina War, the Tắc Sậy region was plunged into a climate of extreme violence and insecurity. Despite the warnings of his bishop and the urgent advice to take refuge in a safe place, Father Diệp categorically refused to abandon his faithful. He then uttered these words: "My life and my death are for my flock. The shepherd must be where the flock is" (or also "I live among my parishioners and I will die among them"). On March 12, 1946, Father Diệp was arrested by an armed group along with more than 70 of his parishioners. They were locked together in a rice granary. In order to save the lives of his faithful, the priest offered himself in exchange for their freedom, declaring that he was their pastor and asking to die in their place. His sacrifice was accepted: the parishioners were released safe and sound, while Father Diệp was taken away, interrogated, and then savagely murdered. His body, bearing the marks of multiple wounds and mutilations, was found shortly after in a pond. He was then buried in the sacristy of the Tắc Sậy church.

The reputation of holiness and martyrdom of Father Trương Bửu Diệp has continued to grow after his death. In 2012, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam officially requested the opening of his cause for canonization, which received the green light from the Vatican the same year. The diocesan inquiry was conducted from 2011 to 2017 in the Diocese of Cần Thơ. A crucial aspect of the historical investigation approved by the Holy See was to clarify the exact circumstances of his death. While persistent rumors historically attributed his assassination to the Việt Minh, the conclusions of the inquiry formally rejected any communist or political involvement linked to President Hồ Chí Minh. Historians established that Father Diệp was killed by two Japanese deserters seeking revenge after their country's defeat in World War II, within the context of local tensions where the priest was defending the rights of his parishioners. On November 25, 2024, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing his martyrdom in hatred of the faith (in odium fidei). The solemn beatification ceremony is set for July 2, 2026, at the Tắc Sậy Pilgrimage Center (Cà Mau Province, Vietnam). The Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, acting as the special representative of Pope Leo XIV. Father Trương Bửu Diệp thus becomes the first diocesan priest martyr of the 20th century to be beatified in Vietnam.

The spirituality of Father Trương Bửu Diệp rests entirely on the evangelical figure of the Good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep (John 10:11). His pastoral charity, his evangelical poverty, and his absolute dedication to the most destitute constitute the heart of his legacy. Today, his tomb at the Tắc Sậy Pilgrimage Center is one of the most frequented places of devotion in Vietnam, attracting millions of pilgrims each year. A remarkable fact in a predominantly Buddhist country, a huge crowd of non-Christians (Buddhists, followers of Cao Dai, or people without religion) flock to his sanctuary to seek his intercession and testify to the temporal and spiritual graces received through his mediation. He is venerated as a symbol of reconciliation, universal compassion, and interreligious dialogue in Vietnam.