Santi e Beati
The Shrine of Saint Le Van Gam , Martyrs in VietNam
May 11
Saint Matthew LÊ VĂN GẪM
Businessman
(1813-1847)
Sacrificing Life For a Great Cause
In 1844 agreeing with the proposal of Bishop Cuénot Thể, Pope Grégorio XVI divided the Diocese of the South into two dioceses: the East vicariate composed of provinces in the middle of Vietnam, and the West vicariate composed of southern provinces and Cambodia. The West vicariate was assigned to Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa who at the time was expelled to Singapore. Bringing Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa back to the new diocese was the desire of the faithful as well as clerics; and this dangerous task was shouldered by Saint Matthew Gẫm even though he knew of the dangers that would threaten his life. The shining example shown by the saint would forever live in the Vietnamese Catholics who love their Church.
An Exemplary Head of Family
Matthew Lê Văn Gẫm was born in 1813 under King Gia Long’s reign in Tắt, a community in Long Đại village, Gò Công parish in Biên Hoà province (presently Thủ Đức district). He was the eldest in a family of five sons and a daughter. Matthew Gẫm had inherited from his father, Paul Lê Văn Lại, and his mother, Maria Nguyễn Thị Nhiệm, a tradition of profound piety.
At 15, Mathew Gẫm received permission from his parents to enter Lái Thiêu seminary to study for the priesthood. However, only a month later, his parents came to take him home. As the eldest son he obeyed his parents and went home to work to help the family financially. And God had led him on a different path. At 20, he married a girl from the community of Thành of Long Điền village, Bà Rịa province (presently Châu Thành district, Đồng Nai province). The couple had a happy and loving family life with four children.
On his frequent business trips, he fell for another woman; but after much agonizing, he cut off this unhealthy relationship. To atone for his mistakes, he deepened the love for his wife and spent more time educating the children, especially teaching them Christian values. Among his four children, the eldest and the youngest died from illness; the second son was killed when he tried to stop the burning of Cầu Ngang church; and the third son was jailed for faith and burned to death along with many others in Bà Rịa on 1/7/1862. The deaths for faith of his two sons were results of Christian teachings he imparted on his children.
A Generous Businessman
Owning his own boat and skillful in seamanship, his business grew rapidly. He generously helped the clerics and he won the trust of missionaries. At the suggestion of Fr. Lợi, treasurer of the rectory of Bà Rịa, he made occasional trips to Singapore or Penang, Malaysia, to pick up missionaries and Vietnamese seminarians or to ship back religious artifacts and books. After many successful trips, the endeavor was finally uncovered and he was watched closely by local mandarins.
In 1846, he accepted the request from Fr. Lợi to sail to Singapore to bring Bishop Dominic Lefebvre Nghĩa, Fr. Duelos Lộ, and three seminarians back to Saigon. As if having premonition of dangers coming to him, he said goodbye to the grandparents and carefully advised his wife and children of his wishes before embarking on the trip. The trip to Singapore was uneventful. The return trip on May 23 lasted longer than normal because the boat ran into a storm and spent four days evading pirates, therefore he missed the scheduled appointment with the group that would pick up the passengers. Not until June 6 did he arrived in the port of Cần Giờ where Mr. Huy, parish council president of the Christian community of Chợ Quán, after waiting for 6 days had left for home.
Knowing that he was a subject under surveillance by the government, Mr. Matthew Gẫm dropped anchor for two days waiting for the waiting party to no avail, then he decided to sail deeper into Saigon. Passing a guard post, he encountered a patrol boat to which he paid a bribe of 10 piasters to avoid arrest. However, 5 sailors on the patrol boat fearing the uncovering of their taking bribe gave pursuit and stopped his boat. Mr. Matthew Gẫm urged the passengers to oppose the arrest, however Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa disagreed reasoning that it was against the Christian spirit of compassion.
Suffering and Glory.
On morning of 6/8/1846 with reinforcement from another patrol boat, soldiers escorted Mr. Matthew Gẫm’s boat to the dock in Nghé. Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa and Fr. Duelos Lộ were jailed in Công Quán where Fr. Duelos Lộ passed away on 7/17/1846. Later the bishop was transferred to the royal capital of Phú Xuân where King Thiệu Trị sentenced to death by decapitation that was then reduced to expulsion to Singapore (he later reentered Vietnam.) Mr. Matthew Gẫm admitting to be the main organizer was jailed in isolation in Saigon.
A few days later, the mandarins summoned him to the tribunal for interrogation and urged him to walk over the cross. He bravely endured tortures mentioning no name nor walking over the cross. In court he gave his name as Lê Văn Bửu while his sentence recorded the name Lê Văn Bối. Twenty days later, the mandarins sent a petition to the royal capital seeking death by beheading, but the king delayed the decision until the following year.
During the awaiting period, Mr. Matthew Gẫm was subjected to heavy cangue and shackles, but he always carried a sense of joy and serenity. He said: “How could I be sad and afraid because I neither rob nor steal anything. Dying for faith is a good thing.” Three times Fr. Thán put on disguise to visit, to hear confession, and to give him communion. Fr. Phan Văn Minh (martyred on 7/3/1853) also came and gave encouragement. Christians from Chợ Quán, Thị Nghè, An Nhơn and Lăng (Chí Hoà) also invited one another to visit the hero of the diocese. Mr. Matthew Gẫm’s father as well as his brother, Corporal Paul Bàng were also arrested and jailed in Biên Hoà for the reason of family connection. His mother and other siblings escaped into the Thủ Đức area also visited him in jail several times.
After 7 months in jail, his death sentence was approved by King Thiệu Trị, but because of the approacing New Year, the king delayed the execution until after the New Year. With the New Year over, a few mandarins in Gia Định city sympathetic to the gentle businessman petitioned the king to reduce the death sentence to life in prison reasoning that even the bishop was not executed. But when the royal army was defeated by the French in Đà Nẵng in March 1847, the king decided against their request.
On 5/11/1849 Mr. Matthew Lê Văn Gẫm was led to the execution site in “Đa Còm,” or “Stunted Banyan tree,” the name given to a stunted banyan tree growing in the hamlet (presently Chợ Đũi parish, then part of Chợ Quán parish,) with the presence of many Christians and pagans. Three younger siblings of the hero of faith, Thomas Trọng, Paul Bằng, and Agnes Nguyện, were also present at the execution of their brothers. Corporal Bàng and Mr. Phước had to fight the crowd to escort Fr. Thán close to the prisoner to give the last rite to his brother. The corporal also gave the executioner 3 piasters asking to him to deliver a quick death avoiding suffering to his brother.
Unfortunately, after the gong sounded, touched by the sorrow of spectators the shaking executioner had to take three tries to severe the head. The martyr’s siblings and Christians approached the remains, sew the head back to the body, replaced a white robe, put a blue scarf around his head, and carried his remains back on a hammock for burial in Chợ Quán.
In 1870, Mrs. Nhiệm, the mother of the martyr, testified to the beatification investigation tribunal that:
“My husband and I did not feel sorrow on the news of his death. We were happy that his death would make him a saint.”
On 5/27/1900, Pope Leo XIII elevated Mr. Matthew Lê Văn Gẫm to the rank of blessed.
The Shrine of Saint Le Van Gam , Martyrs in VietNam
May 11
Saint Matthew LÊ VĂN GẪM
Businessman
(1813-1847)
Sacrificing Life For a Great Cause
In 1844 agreeing with the proposal of Bishop Cuénot Thể, Pope Grégorio XVI divided the Diocese of the South into two dioceses: the East vicariate composed of provinces in the middle of Vietnam, and the West vicariate composed of southern provinces and Cambodia. The West vicariate was assigned to Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa who at the time was expelled to Singapore. Bringing Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa back to the new diocese was the desire of the faithful as well as clerics; and this dangerous task was shouldered by Saint Matthew Gẫm even though he knew of the dangers that would threaten his life. The shining example shown by the saint would forever live in the Vietnamese Catholics who love their Church.
An Exemplary Head of Family
Matthew Lê Văn Gẫm was born in 1813 under King Gia Long’s reign in Tắt, a community in Long Đại village, Gò Công parish in Biên Hoà province (presently Thủ Đức district). He was the eldest in a family of five sons and a daughter. Matthew Gẫm had inherited from his father, Paul Lê Văn Lại, and his mother, Maria Nguyễn Thị Nhiệm, a tradition of profound piety.
At 15, Mathew Gẫm received permission from his parents to enter Lái Thiêu seminary to study for the priesthood. However, only a month later, his parents came to take him home. As the eldest son he obeyed his parents and went home to work to help the family financially. And God had led him on a different path. At 20, he married a girl from the community of Thành of Long Điền village, Bà Rịa province (presently Châu Thành district, Đồng Nai province). The couple had a happy and loving family life with four children.
On his frequent business trips, he fell for another woman; but after much agonizing, he cut off this unhealthy relationship. To atone for his mistakes, he deepened the love for his wife and spent more time educating the children, especially teaching them Christian values. Among his four children, the eldest and the youngest died from illness; the second son was killed when he tried to stop the burning of Cầu Ngang church; and the third son was jailed for faith and burned to death along with many others in Bà Rịa on 1/7/1862. The deaths for faith of his two sons were results of Christian teachings he imparted on his children.
A Generous Businessman
Owning his own boat and skillful in seamanship, his business grew rapidly. He generously helped the clerics and he won the trust of missionaries. At the suggestion of Fr. Lợi, treasurer of the rectory of Bà Rịa, he made occasional trips to Singapore or Penang, Malaysia, to pick up missionaries and Vietnamese seminarians or to ship back religious artifacts and books. After many successful trips, the endeavor was finally uncovered and he was watched closely by local mandarins.
In 1846, he accepted the request from Fr. Lợi to sail to Singapore to bring Bishop Dominic Lefebvre Nghĩa, Fr. Duelos Lộ, and three seminarians back to Saigon. As if having premonition of dangers coming to him, he said goodbye to the grandparents and carefully advised his wife and children of his wishes before embarking on the trip. The trip to Singapore was uneventful. The return trip on May 23 lasted longer than normal because the boat ran into a storm and spent four days evading pirates, therefore he missed the scheduled appointment with the group that would pick up the passengers. Not until June 6 did he arrived in the port of Cần Giờ where Mr. Huy, parish council president of the Christian community of Chợ Quán, after waiting for 6 days had left for home.
Knowing that he was a subject under surveillance by the government, Mr. Matthew Gẫm dropped anchor for two days waiting for the waiting party to no avail, then he decided to sail deeper into Saigon. Passing a guard post, he encountered a patrol boat to which he paid a bribe of 10 piasters to avoid arrest. However, 5 sailors on the patrol boat fearing the uncovering of their taking bribe gave pursuit and stopped his boat. Mr. Matthew Gẫm urged the passengers to oppose the arrest, however Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa disagreed reasoning that it was against the Christian spirit of compassion.
Suffering and Glory.
On morning of 6/8/1846 with reinforcement from another patrol boat, soldiers escorted Mr. Matthew Gẫm’s boat to the dock in Nghé. Bishop Lefebvre Nghĩa and Fr. Duelos Lộ were jailed in Công Quán where Fr. Duelos Lộ passed away on 7/17/1846. Later the bishop was transferred to the royal capital of Phú Xuân where King Thiệu Trị sentenced to death by decapitation that was then reduced to expulsion to Singapore (he later reentered Vietnam.) Mr. Matthew Gẫm admitting to be the main organizer was jailed in isolation in Saigon.
A few days later, the mandarins summoned him to the tribunal for interrogation and urged him to walk over the cross. He bravely endured tortures mentioning no name nor walking over the cross. In court he gave his name as Lê Văn Bửu while his sentence recorded the name Lê Văn Bối. Twenty days later, the mandarins sent a petition to the royal capital seeking death by beheading, but the king delayed the decision until the following year.
During the awaiting period, Mr. Matthew Gẫm was subjected to heavy cangue and shackles, but he always carried a sense of joy and serenity. He said: “How could I be sad and afraid because I neither rob nor steal anything. Dying for faith is a good thing.” Three times Fr. Thán put on disguise to visit, to hear confession, and to give him communion. Fr. Phan Văn Minh (martyred on 7/3/1853) also came and gave encouragement. Christians from Chợ Quán, Thị Nghè, An Nhơn and Lăng (Chí Hoà) also invited one another to visit the hero of the diocese. Mr. Matthew Gẫm’s father as well as his brother, Corporal Paul Bàng were also arrested and jailed in Biên Hoà for the reason of family connection. His mother and other siblings escaped into the Thủ Đức area also visited him in jail several times.
After 7 months in jail, his death sentence was approved by King Thiệu Trị, but because of the approacing New Year, the king delayed the execution until after the New Year. With the New Year over, a few mandarins in Gia Định city sympathetic to the gentle businessman petitioned the king to reduce the death sentence to life in prison reasoning that even the bishop was not executed. But when the royal army was defeated by the French in Đà Nẵng in March 1847, the king decided against their request.
On 5/11/1849 Mr. Matthew Lê Văn Gẫm was led to the execution site in “Đa Còm,” or “Stunted Banyan tree,” the name given to a stunted banyan tree growing in the hamlet (presently Chợ Đũi parish, then part of Chợ Quán parish,) with the presence of many Christians and pagans. Three younger siblings of the hero of faith, Thomas Trọng, Paul Bằng, and Agnes Nguyện, were also present at the execution of their brothers. Corporal Bàng and Mr. Phước had to fight the crowd to escort Fr. Thán close to the prisoner to give the last rite to his brother. The corporal also gave the executioner 3 piasters asking to him to deliver a quick death avoiding suffering to his brother.
Unfortunately, after the gong sounded, touched by the sorrow of spectators the shaking executioner had to take three tries to severe the head. The martyr’s siblings and Christians approached the remains, sew the head back to the body, replaced a white robe, put a blue scarf around his head, and carried his remains back on a hammock for burial in Chợ Quán.
In 1870, Mrs. Nhiệm, the mother of the martyr, testified to the beatification investigation tribunal that:
“My husband and I did not feel sorrow on the news of his death. We were happy that his death would make him a saint.”
On 5/27/1900, Pope Leo XIII elevated Mr. Matthew Lê Văn Gẫm to the rank of blessed.