A Modern Martyr: St. Theophane Venard

Step back into the heart of 19th-century missionary zeal with this powerful collection of letters and accounts from Blessed (now Saint) Jean Théophane Vénard, the young French priest who gave his life for the faith in Tonkin, China.

Ordained in Paris in 1852 alongside John Baptist Hogan (later the esteemed Superior of St. John’s Seminary, Boston), Vénard answered the call to foreign missions. Just four months after ordination, he set sail for the distant missions of Eastern Asia. For seven years, he labored tirelessly in apostolic work until, at the age of 31, he was arrested and beheaded for the Catholic faith in 1861. His serene courage and joyful surrender inspired not only his contemporaries, but also later saints—St. Thérèse of Lisieux treasured his letters as a model of missionary holiness.

This volume, first published in 1913 by the Catholic Foreign Mission Seminary at Maryknoll, preserves Vénard’s deeply moving letters, many secured through the efforts of Lady Herbert of Lea. They reveal a soul aflame with love for Christ, unwavering fidelity in persecution, and tender affection for family and friends.

More than history, these writings are a spiritual treasury—a testimony of missionary sacrifice, priestly dedication, and heroic sanctity.

Details:

Format: Hardcover

Page Count: 302

Dimensions: 9.0 x 6.0 (in)