Patron Saint of Vietnamese Catholics

Category: Countries & Regions

In Catholic tradition, patron saints are holy men and women whose lives and intercession are considered especially suited to particular needs, groups, or situations. The Church's practice of invoking saints reflects the doctrine of the Communion of Saints — the belief that the faithful departed remain united with the living in the one Body of Christ and can intercede before God on our behalf.

The designation of a patron saint for "Vietnamese Catholics" reflects centuries of Catholic popular devotion and, in many cases, formal proclamations by popes or bishops recognizing a saint's particular connection to this intention through the circumstances of their life, death, or documented miracles.

Patron Saint of Vietnamese Catholics

Formally proclaimed patronage — sourced from canonized saints in the Roman Calendar.

Primary Patron
Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions

Feast Day
November 24

Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions is invoked as patron of Vietnamese Catholics. This memorial honors 117 martyrs of Vietnam canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II on June 19, 1988: 96 Vietnamese (eight bishops, fifty priests, and thirty-eight laymen and laywomen, including catechists and members of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary), 11 Spanish Dominicans (six bishops and five priests), and 10 French priests of the Paris Foreign Missions Society. They represent the visible part of an immense persecution: between 1745 and 1862 an estimated 130,000 Vietnamese Christians were put to death, banished, or stripped of property under successive Le, Tay Son, and Nguyen emperors who saw the Catholic faith as a foreign and subversive presence.The patron of the group, Saint Andrew Dung-Lac, was a Vietnamese diocesan priest born around 1795 to non-Christian parents in Bac Ninh province. Sources: https://www.usccb.org/resources/2026cal.pdf.

Read full biography of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the patron saint of vietnamese catholics?

Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions is the primary patron saint of vietnamese catholics. Their feast day is November 24.

What is a patron saint?

A patron saint is a holy man or woman canonized by the Church whose life and heavenly intercession are considered especially powerful for particular needs, groups, or situations. Catholics ask patron saints to intercede — to pray to God on their behalf — drawing on the doctrine of the Communion of Saints.

How do I ask for Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions's intercession?

To ask for a patron saint's intercession, Catholics typically pray directly to the saint, saying something like: "Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions, pray for us." You may also light a candle, attend Mass on their feast day, or make a novena — nine days of consecutive prayer — asking for their help before a particular need.