It is fitting for us that we consider saints of Asia at this time as we have 2 past interns in far away places teaching. One is in Lathoso (Africa ) in a high mountain village- no cars, so one must hike up with all supplies. The other just started her teaching in Malaysia
THE BLESSED MARTYRS of LAOS includes the Laotian priest, Bl. Joseph Tien, 10 European missionaries (from the Paris Foreign Mission Society and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate) and five Laotian lay-catechists. The martyrs lost their lives between 1954 and 1970 under the Pathet Lao, the communist political movement that began to take control of
While there are only approximately 60,000 Catholic Christians in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (representing .9% of the total population), the faith and courage of Laotian Catholics is a powerful witness of the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel in every time and place.
The cause for their canonization was opened as two parallel processes with one for Mario Borzaga – an Italian Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate – and his companion Paul Thoj Xyooj – a Laotian catechist – and another for a group of fifteen martyrs that included ten French missionaries as well as five Laotian Catholics. Pope Francis approved both beatifications in 2015 and their beatification took place in Vientiane Cathedral on 11 December 2016.
1953, communist guerrillas with the support of Vietnamese fighters invaded the northeastern part of what was then the French Protectorate of Laos. In Easter of the same year, the guerrillas stormed the town of Sam Neua
A young Laotian priest, Joseph Thao Tien, chose not to flee but to stay behind with the people. "I am ready to lay down my life for my Laotian brothers and sisters," the priest was quoted as saying.
He was marched to a prison camp amid a wailing throng of people who were praying on the roadside. "Do not be sad, I'll come back," he assured them.
A year later, on June 2, 1954, Father Joseph Tien was shot to death when he refused to give up the priesthood and marry.
In a remote valley in central Vietnam
Cardinal Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato, who presided over the beatification on the pope's behalf, an Oblate missionary himself, said the martyrs "gave up their lives for the sake of Jesus ... in the service of the Lord and in the service of their brothers and sisters….We have to tell and retell their individual stories of heroism to every generation."
The young Kmhmu catechist, Luc Sy, a father of three, and his companion, Maisan Pho Inpeng, died in 1970 while giving catechism and tending to sick villagers.
In 1960, Hmong catechist, Thoj Xyooj went with Father Mario Borzaga on an apostolic trip to the villages. Both never came back. In April and May 1961, Fathers Louis Leroy, Michael Coquelet, and Vincent L'Henoret were abducted in the province Xieng Khouang China
Cardinal Quevedo said that even though Laos
"The grain of wheat has fallen to the ground and has died. With the utmost certainty it shall bear fruit in the number of Catholics, in the quality of your faith and in the number of vocations to the priestly and religious life," the cardinal added.
Their feast is December 16.