SAINT ANTHONY NGUYỄN HỮU QUỲNH (NĂM)
(1768 – 1840)
BORROW MONEY IN ORDER TO HELP PEOPLE
“If you and the children do not allow me to take our fortune to help people, then I will work or borrow money to assist them.” A statement of determination yet full of sincerity from a high-raking official, a physician and a leader. The above statement let us see and understand the life of 72 years in the service of God and neighbors. Anthony Nguyen Huu Quynh was born in 1768 at My Huong’s village, Le Thuy’s District, Quang Binh’s Province. His father was Anthony Nguyen Huu Hiep, his mother was Magdelena Loc. When he was young, he asked Bishop Labartette Binh to accept him as one of his student with the intention of becoming a priest, but his two brothers had also asked to join the priesthood, so his family wanted him to stay home in order to carry on the family lineage. In 1800, he joined Nguyen Anh’s army. He contributed in the victory over Canh Thinh’s army and was promoted to the title of Body-guard (Ve-Uy). Up until the country was unified (1802), when Gia Long was crowned king, he then realized that army’s life was no longer suitable for him so he asked to be released from military service. Returned home, he bought a plot of land and cultivated it. He also made a living by trading. At the same time, he also devoted many hours to the study of medicines and gradually became a well-known physician in his region. And from that day on his family was well provided for.
According to Mr. Quynh, property, abilities that God has granted him was to use them to serve everyone, not to keep them to himself. His main concern was to serve the poor in a very special way. With them, he treated them for free, took good care of them and even helped them financially. When his wife and children would complained, he would say: “I have never seen those who helps the poor would go empty handed. Does not the Bible teach us to treat them as the Body of Christ? God gives us life, his divine providence is enough for us”. When his children were matured, he would say to them: “I have raised you since you were born, now that you have grown, it is time that you take care of the family. I want to set aside the money that we have profited from selling the medicine to share that with the poor.”
His love for people was manifested even clearer when the whole village was struck with the cholera disease. He put out a big sum of money to obtain medicine for the villagers. He took care of the sick and nurtured them back to health. He did all in a loving and committed way. But then his charity asked him to go further, Bishop Labartette asked him to take charge of the Catechism classes. So in order to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the villagers, Mr. Quynh accepted the Bishop’s request and became the leader of My Huong’s village.
During the time of religious persecution, the religious priests had to go into hiding, so Mr. Quynh’s position was very important and much needed. His house then was turned into a classroom to teach religion, a guest house where they received missionaries and clergyman. He took charged of all the religious and church activities and performed all the charitable works in the village. He did everything so well that gained him trust and respect from everyone. And even though he was very busy with all the charitable works, he still managed to take care and to raise his children to live by the Gospel. His oldest daughter joined the Sisters of the Holy Cross, and later she became the Mother Superior of that Order. All his other children followed his examples, remained faithful to their Faith and with him they put their own pleasured aside so as to devote their time to the care of the needy.
In 1838, King Minh Mang ordered a search for a Missionary priest, Candlh Kim. Mr. Quynh personally took Father to Kim Sen, an old camp of his ancestors, and brought along with him some books and statues from My Huong’s parish. In not seeing Mr. Quynh for many days, the official sent the soldiers to inspect his house. The soldiers dragged the servants out of the house, beat them and questioned them. One of the servants got scared and confessed the hide-out location of his master. For a moment a official had intended to arrest Mr. Quynh’s wife and his two youngest daughters, who were still living at home. One was 14 and the other was 10. The official forced them to deny their Catholic Faith, but they did not obeyed the order. Upset, the official ordered the soldiers to struck the legs of the girls so as to compel them to step over the Crucifix. The girls did not yield to their wish. The soldiers then dashed toward the girls and dragged them to step over. And of course, being young and weak, the girls could not withstand the soldiers’ strength. They then cried out: “We are being forced to cross over the Cross, not of our own choice. We have always respected and honored the Crucifix.”
The official could not hide his admiration for their young spirited courage, so he released the mother and the two girls. As follow, the soldiers left for Kim Sen’s camp. After they have arrested Mr. Quynh and confiscated some religious books, they conducted him to Dong Hoi’s prison. On the way there, he sent a message to one of his sons and assked him to secretly meet with the soldiers and to bring with him 50 cents to bribe the soldiers and ssked them to destroy the record book, which contained all the names of the parishioners. At Dong Hoi’s prison, Mr. Quynh was glad to meet Father Borie Cao, Fr. Diem, Fr. Khoa and Brother Tu. Many times he was being questioned about his Faith together with the priests and brother. But at all times, he would answer: “I would rather die than deny my Lord, even for just a moment.”
There was a time when the official let the soldiers dragged Mr. Quynh over the Cross, immediately he would raised his voice in protest: “This is the work of the official, if sin is committed, it is you who committed the sin, not I”. This statement upset the official so he ordered him to be put back into prison. A few days later, the official asked Father Cao: “Why is Mr. Quynh so stubborn?” The missionary answered: “The faithful who had stepped over the Cross were those who did not know their faith well enough and were afraid, but for Mr. Quynh, he has great knowledge about his Faith and very strong in his beliefs, if you continue to torture him it will be in vain and you will not get any result!” Disappointed, the official sent the verdict to imperial city. Bishop Cao was decapitated, Father Diem and Father Khoa were sentenced to death, Brother Tu and Mr. Anthony Quynh also received the death sentenced but was detained. Time passed quickly and it has already been two years since Mr. Quynh and Brother Tu were imprisoned.
During these two years the official sent requests to the King, asking that the sentenced be carry out, but King Minh Mang postponed the official’s requests, and in his letters to them he asked that they be patient. In one of the letters to the Mission, Fr. Michel Mich explained: “Mr. Anthony knows almost all the officials , and he used to cure some of them. Many of them know of him as a person of great knowledge and possess an outstanding character, they respect him. And because of that he has great influence on people. So to them, having caught a big bait away from the hands of Jesus was a great accomplishment. But such would make no different, “hell” would have fo find a hundred ways in order to win back the soul which they are about to loose”. For Mr. Quynh part, even though he was 72 years old, he still manifested great courage and endurance, he deserved everyone’s admiration. All day long he would recite prayers, he fast, he loved and helped everyone. He still had chances to practice his profession, he cured one of the officials at Dong Hoi’s prison and especially he cured many of the inmates.
Seeing that, long term imprisonment did not discourage Mr. Quynh, King Minh Mang finally granted the officials request to execute Mr. Quynh on July 10, 1840. There were about 100 soldiers who escorted Mr. Quynh and Brother Tu to the executioner site. When they approached the site, they asked to see the spot where Father Cao, Father Khoa and Father Diem were executed the year before. Mr. Quynh went to the spot and prayed: “Father, thank you for giving me the grace to die like them....”After he finished his prayer, he sat down on the mat that was there and calmly finished smoking his cigarette that the official had given him. His two sons came to bit him good-bye, he remined them to say farewell to Brother Tu also and asked him to pray to God for them when he reach Heaven. Then he said his last words: “Please, give my best regard to all the leaders and the faithful of My Huong’s Parish. Peace to all and remain faithful to the Faith. Love one another and live virtuous lives, you will see me again in Heaven.”
After saying his last words, he laid down on the mat that was there, Mr. Quynh stretched out his arms and said: “In time past, Jesus also had his arms out-stretched and was crucified”. The soldiers slipped the rope around his neck, they pull the two ends of the rope, sending the faithful follower of Jesus Christ to receive his reward of everlasting life.