ANNAMITI, MARTYRS. — This name refers to the one hundred and five martyrs beatified among the very numerous missionaries, priests, and native Christians who were martyred in the kingdoms of Annam, Cochinchina, and Tonkin. A first group of sixty-four, including three bishops, seven European priests, and twenty-four native priests, were beatified by Leo XIII on 27 May 1900, together with thirteen Chinese martyrs (v. CHINESE, MARTYRS).
With the exception of the Blessed Emmanuel Trieu (d. 17 Sept. 1798) and John Dat (d. 28 Oct. of an unspecified year), all the others were martyred between 1833 and 1856, during the persecutions of the Annamite kings Minh-Manh, Thien-Tzi, and Tu-Duc (v. FRENCH INDOCHINA). Among these, in chronological order of martyrdom, are the Blessed François Gagelin, Joseph Marchand, Jean-Charles Cornay, Dominique Henares, DELEGAZIONE (v.), José Fernández, Jaccard (v.), Peter Dumoulin-Borie, SCHÖFFLER, AGOSTINO (v.), and Louis Bonnard. Three other martyrs of the Order of Preachers, who suffered in the same period—namely the Blessed Jerome Hermosilla, Berrio-Ochoa (v.), Peter Al-Mató, and the native catechist Joseph Khang—were beatified by Pius X on 20 April 1906, along with four 18th-century martyrs of the same Order: the Blessed Francis Gil de Federic, Matthew Alonso Lenzini, Hyacinth Castaneda, and Vincent Liem da Pace.
To the same period of persecution also belong the twenty martyrs who were beatified by Pius X on 2 May 1909, together with fourteen Chinese martyrs. In this group, alongside the European Blessed Stephen-Théodore Cuenot, Peter-François Néron, and John-Théophane Vénard, are seven native priests and the virgin Agnes Le Thi Thang.
Other beatification processes are underway, though few could be conducted among the thousands of heroes of the Gospel in the Church of Annam.