Blessed Andrew the Catechist
Christianity penetrated Southeast Asia largely through the work of Portuguese Jesuits. In Vietnam they made a number of converts despite official opposition; one of these was Anrê of Phú Yên (1625-44). Andrew, as he was known, was baptized in his teens and served as an aide and teacher. He was caught up in a purge of Christians in 1644; loyal to his Jesuit clergy, he refused the orders of his ruler to renounce the faith. For this he was hanged (or stabbed or beheaded), becoming the first Vietnamese martyr. His body was taken to Macao, the Portuguese colony in southern China where it was interred. He was beatified in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. In the homily the pope preached on this occasion, he said of Andrew, “The words he repeated as he advanced on the path of martyrdom are the expression of what motivated his whole life: ‘Let us return love for love to our God, let us return life for life.’