Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan

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Vietnamese faithful pray beside the grave of Fr. Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep at Tac Say Pilgrimage Center in southern Vietnam. Father Francis, a martyr, is to be canonized as a Catholic saint on July 2 at the center. (Courtesy of Mary Nguyen)

Apr 20, 2026

Historic first canonization ceremony in Vietnam honors war martyr

In 1946, Fr. Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep was arrested along with more than 70 parishioners. Soldiers planned to kill them all, but Father Francis said he was their shepherd and asked to die in their place.