French Missionary, Roman Catholic Saint. Born Jean-Théophane Vénard in the parish of St.-Loup in the Diocese of Poitiers, he realized his calling early and began studying for the priesthood at the College of Doue-la-Fontaine, Montmorillon, Poitiers, and entered the Seminary for Foreign Missions in Paris as a sub-deacon. He was ordained a priest in June of 1852 and left for his first post in Hong Kong in September of that year. After fifteen months in Hong Kong he went to West Tonkin, which is the northeast area of what is now Vietnam. Nominally under the control of the Chinese, the area was actually under control of a Tonkinese warlord named Minh-Menh who, shortly after Father Vénard's arrival, issued an edict outlawing Christianity and subjecting those who defied it to imprisonment and brutal torture. Catholic missionaries were forced to go into hiding -- literally underground, as many of them hid out in caves and in the jungle. Father Vénard maintained his ministry for seven years, mostly at night, but sometimes in broad daylight. He was finally betrayed in November 1860 and at his trial was given the opportunity to renounce his faith and save himself, which he refused to do. He was kept prisoner in a small cage and tortured for three months, during which he wrote numerous letters which were later given to his family. In one such letter to his father he wrote, "A slight sabre-cut will separate my head from my body, like the spring flower which the Master of the garden gathers for His pleasure. We are all flowers planted on this earth, which God plucks in His own good time: some a little sooner, some a little later . . ." When he was finally taken out to be beheaded in February 1861, it is said that the executioner, who apparently wanted Father Vénard's clothing, asked him what he would give to be killed quickly, and Father Vénard replied "the longer it lasts the better it will be." His head was displayed for a time on a pike, then was rescued and hidden by members of the Christian community; his body was sent back to France. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is considered responsible for promoting devotion to Father Vénard as someone who had lived what she considered to be the ideal of missionary and martyr. His name was first proposed for beatification in 1879, and he was declared Blessed by Pope Pius X in 1909. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988. His feast day is December 4th.