Who Are We?
The Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement is an organization, under the leadership of the Catholic Church. Its aim is to teach youths to be virtuous people and good Christians. It also offers apostolate services for the youth. Throughout its years of service, VEYM has kept pace with social and cultural changes of the day in an attempt to reach out to the youth of all times.
Phong Trào Thiếu Nhi Thánh Thể Việt Nam nhận Chúa Giêsu Thánh Thể là nguồn sống thiêng liêng, trung tâm điểm và lý tưởng sống để phục vụ Giáo Hội và xã hội qua hai sứ vụ:
2.1 Đào luyện thanh thiếu niên trở thành những con người kiện toàn và những Kitô Hữu hoàn hảo.
2.2 Đoàn ngũ hoá và hướng dẫn thanh thiếu niên loan truyền Tin Mừng Chúa Kitô và góp phần xây dựng xã hội.
More About Us
Anê Thành
Our Đoàn's Patron Saint
Saint Anê Lê Thị Thành was the only non-clergy woman among the 117 documented Vietnamese martyrs. She was born in 1781 -in northern Vietnam- and led a quiet & devout life with her husband and 6 children.
Anê Thành was instrumental in helping Vietnamese priests avoid persecution from Vietnamese government officials. When she was 60 years old, she was arrested during a raid for Catholic priests in the nearby villages. Although many had been arrested in this raid, her husband and children were able to elude the authorities.
Despite what the Vietnamese officials did to threaten her to recant (deny) her belief in God, Anê Thành maintained her composure with devotion to Mother Mary. In prison, Anê Lê Thị Thành was beaten and interrogated repeatedly. Her youngest daughter visited her in prison, and found her mother's clothes caked in blood. Anê Thành comforted her children saying, "Do not cry, these are my red roses of courage. I am suffering in the name of Jesus." Her own husband also urged her to reconsider for the sake of their children. She replied: "I entrust the children to you; trust in God. As for me, I will trust and follow Jesus to the end."
After much time spent in unsanitary prison conditions, Ane Thanh fell ill with dysentery, and succumbed to her illness. She was survived by her husband and 6 children. The unyielding faith of Saint Ane Thanh lives on, as we continue to carry on her Catholic devotion in trusting and following Jesus; decades after her canonization as a saint.
Saint Anê Thành, pray for us.
VEYM Historical Background
Between the the mid-1700's to the mid-1800's (the time America fought for independence until the beginning of the Civil War) , Vietnam had experienced a time of extreme religious persecution. During this time, Catholicism was strictly prohibited. Any European Missionary or Vietnamese citizen that was caught practicing Catholicism or helped Catholics celebrate mass in secret, was arrested & brutally punished. To test their faith, the ruling officials threatened and tortured those that were arrested to recant (deny) their faith in God. Despite the conditions they faced, each of the Vietnamese Martyrs remained firm in their faith, and faced public execution for their devotion to God.
It is important to note that the Vatican estimates the number of Vietnamese martyrs to fall between 130,000 and 300,000 people. Those who were persecuted for their belief in God were men and women living in their homes dedicated to the Catholic faith; they were soldiers and business owners who were arrested for protecting Catholics in their homes; they were priests and nuns whose livelihood was based on spreading God's Word. The list can go on, but out of these thousands of martyrs; only 117 had documentation of their lives and what they endured for their faith. On June 19th, 1988, Pope John Paul II decided to canonize those whose names are known and unknown, giving them a single feast day.
