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| Saint John-Louis Bonnard, Pray for us! |
⛪ Other Names: Giovanni Ludovico Bonnard
⛪ Born:
• 1 March 1824 at Saint Christot-en-Jarret, Loire, France
⛪ Died:
• Beheaded on 1 May 1852 at Tonkin, Indo-China (modern Vietnam) • body thrown into the river, but immediately recovered by local Christians • Interred in the college of Vinhtri • His blood-covered garments, links of his chains, his hair, and his beard were kept by heathen soldiers and sold to Christians
Saint John-Louis Bonnard, also known as Jean-Louis Bonnard, was born on March 1, 1824, in Saint-Christo-en-Jarret, located in the Loire region of France. He was raised in a devout Catholic family and showed early signs of piety and dedication to the Church.
After completing his early education, Bonnard pursued his vocation to the priesthood. He studied at the Major Seminary in Lyon, where he received a solid theological and spiritual formation. His deep commitment to serving God led him to join the Seminary of Foreign Missions on November 4, 1846.
On December 23, 1848, Bonnard was ordained as a priest. Shortly after his ordination, he felt called to serve as a missionary in distant lands. With a burning desire to spread the Gospel and bring the message of Christ to those who had not yet heard it, he volunteered for the missions in Western Tonkin, Vietnam.
In February 1849, Father Bonnard embarked on a journey to Western Tonkin, arriving in the midst of a period of intense persecution against Christians. Despite the dangers and threats to his own life, he fearlessly ministered to the Catholic community and worked tirelessly to spread the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Father Bonnard's mission in Western Tonkin was marked by hardship and adversity. He faced hostility and opposition from local authorities who sought to suppress Christianity. However, his unwavering faith and dedication to his calling sustained him through difficult times.
In 1852, Father Bonnard was denounced and arrested for his activities as a Christian missionary. He was brought before a tribunal and accused of preaching the Catholic faith, a crime punishable by death under the oppressive regime. Despite facing imminent martyrdom, Father Bonnard remained steadfast in his faith and refused to renounce his beliefs.
On May 1, 1852, Father Bonnard was executed by beheading near Nam-dinh, a city in Western Tonkin. His courageous witness to the Gospel and his willingness to sacrifice his life for his faith inspired many believers and earned him the title of martyr.
Saint John-Louis Bonnard was officially canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church on June 19, 1988. His life and martyrdom continue to serve as a powerful example of faith, courage, and devotion to God for Catholics around the world.
Painting - The martyrdom of Father Jean-Louis Bonnard Huong on May 1, 1852 at Vinh Tri
The painting is 1,070m in height and 1,789m wide. It's painted on a cardboard made of thin fabric.
After the execution: At the bottom, right corner, the picture presents far away from a public building, near the cathedral is a group of soldiers holding swords. The superintendent rides on the back of an elephant with a group of wooden guards standing nearby.
Father Bonnard's execution day in Nam Dinh:
Catholics were in a large crowd. The officers took 500 soldiers to escort and had to move the execution site to Dan Thuy Beach, about a mile and a half from Nam Dinh Citadel. A group of lay people are seen sitting at the corner of the painting. The executioner slashed his father's head with a single slash. In the painting, he still stood against the sword. Four soldiers carried the Martyrs body, and another took his head and walked towards the two boats, blood dripping down on the ground (The book, pages 347-348 recounts that, according to the custom, the death penalty is to be buried at the execution site, but since they do not want to let the devotees respect the martyr, the bureaucrats have given the land. Blood-stained, the corpses were carried in two large boats to be thrown into the river. The corpse of the saint was placed in a boat with many soldiers following him, the official was on the second boat. They took food for three days, then sailed down the river.
A small boat carrying a deacon and a preceptor wandered ahead to observe. That night, many fishing boats of the believers in the vicinity also followed them. Around eight nine o'clock at night, it was dark, and two large boats swept back and forth a few times and sailed up the river. Believers have identified the position, as a young man diving into the riverbed and touching the martyr's body.
Not far from two large boats, the painting showcases four small boats of the parishioners who are taking the corpses from the riverbed at a depth of about 25 feet, or about 7.5 meters.
Burial rituals: The body of the martyr was immediately taken to the Vinh Tri colony (At that time Vinh Tri was also the headquarters of Tay Dang Ngo diocese, was clothed in ceremonies and placed in a chapel with a bright torch light. as we see in the main part of the painting, it was about 1 Am on May 2, 1852. The teachers of Vinh Tri village and the monks came to pay homage to the martyr's body. Pure Land, a monk professor, wears a white shirt standing right near the corpse of the martyr.
At the bottom of the painting, a group of women crossed the colony fence to see the corpse of the martyr, but a teacher wearing a brown shirt and a whip was chasing them.
The Martyr's body was gathered there until the evening of the following day, Bishop Retord Lieu, with a missionary, a Vietnamese priest, and teachers came to celebrate the burial rite. In the painting, Father Retord Lieu and his entourage are coming from the right to enter the chapel.
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