On the eve of the beatification of Father Francisco Xavier Truong Buu Diep, Bishop Dominic Hoang Minh Tien of Hung Hoa urged Catholics to honor the Vietnamese priest by imitating his sacrificial witness rather than seeking miracles.
The bishop delivered the message during a vigil Mass on July 1, one day before the beatification Mass at the Tac Say Pilgrimage Center in southern Vietnam.
Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, will preside over the July 2 liturgy as the representative of Pope Leo XIV.
“Honoring Blessed Francisco Xavier Truong Buu Diep is not about building a grand monument or offering many candles or long prayers. The most precious way is to imitate his holy life and virtues,” Bishop Tien said.
The prelate urged Catholics “to live holiness through daily duties, to live charity and love toward all, and above all, to carry out Jesus’ command: to give ourselves tirelessly for the mission of evangelization.”
“The event of the beatification of Father Francisco Xavier Truong Buu Diep tomorrow morning — and the Mass we celebrate today in anticipation — is not only an honor for the Diocese of Can Tho but also an unprecedented historic moment for the Church in Vietnam,” he said.
He recalled that Vietnam’s 117 martyrs were beatified in several ceremonies beginning in 1900 before being canonized in 1988, with those celebrations held at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
“But tomorrow, July 2, 2026, right here in our beloved homeland and at this sacred place of Tac Say, God will prepare for us a great banquet of grace in the beatification Mass of Father Francisco Xavier Truong Buu Diep,” he said.
The bishop said the beatification Mass is “a precious opportunity” to express gratitude to the Creator, “who has lifted up an outstanding son of the Church in Vietnam to the rank of Blessed, so that all God’s people in Vietnam may venerate him.”
Throughout the homily, Bishop Tien returned to Father Diep’s witness as a parish priest who remained with his people during violence and hardship.
“Beyond gentle words in catechesis and homilies, he preached through a life of holiness, service, and dedication to the poor, the hungry, and the suffering. He fulfilled his mission through close, faithful presence with the flock entrusted to him,” he said.
Recalling a time of war, the bishop said Father Diep chose to stay with those who could not flee.
“When the situation became chaotic — war, danger, bombs, and threats — people fled for safety. But the poor and elderly who could not escape were forced to remain,” he said.
“Faced with the choice of saving himself or staying to protect his flock, Father Diep decisively chose to remain, to live and die with the flock entrusted to him,” he added.
Rather than resist with violence, Father Diep stayed “not to take up weapons against those who harmed the people, but to be present — to protect, comfort, strengthen, and face hardship with everyone,” the bishop said.
Bishop Tien said the Church recognized Father Diep’s holiness not because of extraordinary deeds but because of his life of self-giving love.
He said the priest dedicated himself to the poor, remained steadfast in the faith, and fulfilled his priestly mission until his death, living and dying as a missionary disciple committed to the Gospel and to the people entrusted to his care.
The bishop also cautioned Catholics against reducing devotion to the pursuit of extraordinary favors.
“Catholic faith does not allow us to stop at miracles or seek only material favors. True faith demands more: the search for inner peace — the supernatural peace beyond understanding that the risen Jesus promised His disciples,” he said.
He said Father Diep’s life should renew the Church’s missionary commitment.
“Jesus sent His disciples to preach the Gospel to all creation — and that mission is also ours. It is the essential identity of the Church and of every Christian,” he said.
Ahead of the beatification, the Diocese of Can Tho presented the official image of Blessed Francisco Xavier Truong Buu Diep.
The image is based on an original photograph taken between 1930 and 1940, which the diocese described as a valuable historical record of the priest who lived and gave his life for his flock.
According to the diocese, the original photograph surfaced after a restored portrait commissioned around 1997 by the late Bishop Emmanuel Le Phong Thuan had already become widely known. Bishop Thuan entrusted the original photograph to Father Phero Nguyen Van Men of the Diocese of Long Xuyen for safekeeping.
After the Holy See announced the beatification date, the Diocese of Can Tho requested the photograph’s return for the celebration. The diocese said Father Men, who had personally safeguarded the image for years, returned it to the Diocese of Can Tho for use during the historic event.
Following what the diocese described as a careful examination, Bishop Phero Le Tan Loi recognized the photograph as the official image of Blessed Francisco Xavier Truong Buu Diep after determining that it was authentic in origin, faithful to the priest’s likeness, objective, and of clear historical value.
The official diocesan image identifies him in Vietnamese as “Chan phuoc Phanxico Xavie Truong Buu Diep – Linh muc tu dao (1897–1946).”
