Saint Andrew of Phu Yen is honoured as the protomartyr of the Vietnamese Church — the first of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese Catholics who would die for their faith over the following three centuries. A young catechist baptised by the Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes, he was executed near Hoi An in 1644 at just 19. Today he is the patron of catechists in Vietnam, his feast on 26 July doubles as the national Catechists’ Day, and his shrine sits on the Hoi An–Da Nang road, close enough for a morning’s ride.

Saint or Blessed? His official title

Strictly speaking, his official title today is Blessed Andrew of Phu Yen: Pope John Paul II beatified him in Rome on 5 March 2000, and the cause for his canonisation is still underway. Vietnamese Catholics, however, have long called him “Saint Andrew of Phu Yen” out of affection and veneration — so you will see both titles used, including in this article. He is not one of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs canonised in 1988; his cause was examined separately.

Early life and vows

Martyrdom at Thanh Chiem

In July 1644, under Lord Nguyen Phuc Lan, the mandarin Ong Nghe Bo launched a persecution of Christians in Quang Nam. On 25 July, soldiers raided Father de Rhodes’ house in Hoi An looking for Ignatius, the senior catechist of the group — but only young Andrew was at home. Convinced that the community needed Ignatius more than him, Andrew stepped forward, took responsibility and let himself be arrested.

He was taken to the citadel of Thanh Chiem (Ke Cham), then the capital of Quang Nam Province. Offered his freedom if he renounced his faith, he refused, declaring: “Would that I had a thousand lives to offer them all to God in gratitude for what He has done for me.” The death sentence was carried out within 24 hours.

Around 5 pm on 26 July 1644, thirty soldiers escorted Andrew to Go Xu, the execution ground near the citadel — a site that today lies in Phuoc Kieu, 7.8 km from Hoi An Ancient Town. Before a crowd that included Father de Rhodes himself, he encouraged his fellow Christians: “Remain firm in your faith, do not be sad about my death, and pray that I remain faithful to the end.” He died with the name of Jesus on his lips.

“Let us return love for love to our Lord; let us return life for life.” — Blessed Andrew of Phu Yen, repeated before his martyrdom, as recorded by Father Alexandre de Rhodes.

On 15 August 1644, Father de Rhodes brought Andrew’s body by ship to Macau, where it was buried at St Paul’s church. His head was carried to Rome, where it is still kept at the residence of the Superior General of the Jesuits.

Legacy and feast day

• Protomartyr of Vietnam — the first of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who would witness to their faith through nearly three centuries of persecution. His example is held up especially to young people: a 19-year-old lay catechist, not a priest, who died for teaching the faith.
• Feast day 26 July — the anniversary of his death. The Vietnamese Bishops’ Conference has also made it the National Day of Catechists, and catechists across the country take him as their patron.
• Two pilgrimage sites — the Shrine of Blessed Andrew of Phu Yen at Phuoc Kieu (Diocese of Da Nang), where he died, and Mang Lang church in Phu Yen, where he was born.
• When 26 July falls on a Sunday the diocese moves the pilgrimage to the following Monday, as in 2026 (held on 27 July). In 2027 the feast falls on a Monday, so the pilgrimage is on the day itself.

Why the shrine is at Phuoc Kieu — and why the place matters for the Vietnamese alphabet

Andrew was beheaded at the Thanh Chiem citadel. Phuoc Kieu, the bronze-casting village next to Thanh Chiem, is where the shrine now stands — and that is no coincidence. This was the first missionary centre of Cochinchina, and it is also where the Romanised Vietnamese alphabet was born.

The local history Dinh Tran Thanh Chiem Quang Nam (Dinh Trong Tuyen & Dinh Ba Truyen, p. 243) records that Phuoc Kieu had a Catholic church built in the time of the Nguyen lords, and that the Jesuit Francisco de Pina — the man credited with first devising the Latin-script writing of Vietnamese — was superior of that residence until his death in December 1625. Father de Rhodes and Jerónimo Majorica learned Vietnamese here under de Pina from 1624. De Pina drowned off Cua Dai while rescuing people from a boat in distress; he was buried in Hoi An, though the grave has never been located.

The diocese also notes three old graves behind the shrine’s chapel — “of unknown identity but certainly Catholic” — restored during the last renovation. That is all that is known about them, and we report it as such. If you are heading north afterwards, the visit combines naturally with our guide to the Hoi An to Da Nang ride.

The relic inside the shrine

The relic of Blessed Andrew displayed at the front of the shrine is a lock of his hair. On pilgrimage day the faithful may venerate it from early morning until the afternoon; the rest of the year the shrine is open to visitors. In front of the altar stands a statue of the Blessed in Vietnamese dress. The whole compound is little more than 2,000 m² — small, but it is the ground of Go Xu itself.

Visiting the shrine from Hoi An

The Shrine of Blessed Andrew of Phu Yen stands at Phuoc Kieu, Thanh Chiem hamlet — formerly Dien Phuong commune, since 1 July 2025 part of Dien Ban ward, Da Nang city — right on the road connecting Hoi An with Da Nang. Google Maps rates it 4.8 from 58 reviews (plus code V796+V6J; website denthanhanrephuyen.org). Distances below are measured on Google Maps from our shop at 84 Phan Chau Trinh:

• Half a morning is enough. The shrine, the traditional Phuoc Kieu bronze-casting village and the Thanh Chiem citadel site sit within a few hundred metres of each other on the same road. A motorbike or e-bike is the simplest way; our 50cc and electric bikes need no licence and are delivered to your hotel.
• 26 July is very busy. Parish volunteers manage parking from early afternoon; a motorbike is far easier to park than a car, and you should arrive before 4 pm for the procession.
• On ordinary days the shrine is quiet and open. Dress modestly and keep silence in the chapel. If you want a full day of Catholic heritage, continue 11.8 km (20 min) west to Tra Kieu church, the Marian centre of the diocese.

FAQ about Saint Andrew of Phu Yen

Updated September 2026. Biographical details follow the Vietnamese Bishops’ Conference and the Diocese of Da Nang; pilgrimage timings are from the diocese’s 2026 programme and change yearly. Distances measured on Google Maps from 84 Phan Chau Trinh; place names follow Vietnam’s administrative reform effective 1 July 2025. Vietnamese version: Thánh Anrê Phú Yên.