The First Bishop of the Diocese of Vinh Long, Monsignor Antôine Nguyễn Văn Thiện was born in Cái Côn, Vietnam, on March 13, 1906, and was ordained to the priesthood at 25 years of age on February 20, 1932, in Nam Vang.
Professor at the Banam Faculty in Cambodia, he was appointed curate of the Tòa Cần Cathedral in 1955. The following year, he founded a printing house in Tòa Cần for religious books.
Aged 54, Father Antôine was appointed as the First Bishop of the Diocese of Vinh Long, when the former Vicariate was raised to a Diocese by the Holy See. He received his episcopal consecration on January 22, 1961, in the Basilica of of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception in Saigon, from Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô-dinh-Thuc, assisted by Bishops Jean Cassaigne MEP., and Thaddée Anselme Le Huu Tu O.Cist.
Establishing two congregation mission centers one for men and the other for women, Bishop Antôine had a new cathedral built and initiated training for lay apostolate. In 1968, he began suffering from a serious eye disease. Treatment under local and foreign specialists proved to be insufficient. His eyesight restriction led him to resign the pastoral government of his see at 62 years of age on July 12, 1968, being named in return, Bishop of the Titular See of Hispellum.
In 1961, the Bishop fell victim of an ambush led by Communist rebels as he was returning home in Vinh Long from a visit to a neighbouring province, but was rescued by a passing military convoy.
Moving to a retirement home in Cần Thơ, the Bishop eventually settled in Nice, France, in 1975. In June 1988, he was the only Vietnamese Bishop who concelebrated with Pope John Paul II in the canonization ceremony of 117 holy martyrs of Vietnam.
A priest for 80 years and a bishop for 51, Monsignor Nguyễn Văn Thiện died in Paris, France, on May 13, 2012, at 10.00 am., at the most venerable age of 106 years, being at the time of his death, the oldest Catholic Bishop in the world. At his death, Monsignor Gery Leuliet of the Diocese Amiens, France, became the oldest living prelate at 102. Supposedly, the oldest Bishop after Monsignor Antôine was Francis Hong Yong-ho of Pyongyang, North Korea. The Vatican yearbook kept listing him as the Diocese's Bishop, although no one heard of his whereabouts since 1949, after being arrested by the Communists. If he was alive, he would have been 105 at the time.
Professor at the Banam Faculty in Cambodia, he was appointed curate of the Tòa Cần Cathedral in 1955. The following year, he founded a printing house in Tòa Cần for religious books.
Aged 54, Father Antôine was appointed as the First Bishop of the Diocese of Vinh Long, when the former Vicariate was raised to a Diocese by the Holy See. He received his episcopal consecration on January 22, 1961, in the Basilica of of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception in Saigon, from Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô-dinh-Thuc, assisted by Bishops Jean Cassaigne MEP., and Thaddée Anselme Le Huu Tu O.Cist.
Establishing two congregation mission centers one for men and the other for women, Bishop Antôine had a new cathedral built and initiated training for lay apostolate. In 1968, he began suffering from a serious eye disease. Treatment under local and foreign specialists proved to be insufficient. His eyesight restriction led him to resign the pastoral government of his see at 62 years of age on July 12, 1968, being named in return, Bishop of the Titular See of Hispellum.
In 1961, the Bishop fell victim of an ambush led by Communist rebels as he was returning home in Vinh Long from a visit to a neighbouring province, but was rescued by a passing military convoy.
Moving to a retirement home in Cần Thơ, the Bishop eventually settled in Nice, France, in 1975. In June 1988, he was the only Vietnamese Bishop who concelebrated with Pope John Paul II in the canonization ceremony of 117 holy martyrs of Vietnam.
A priest for 80 years and a bishop for 51, Monsignor Nguyễn Văn Thiện died in Paris, France, on May 13, 2012, at 10.00 am., at the most venerable age of 106 years, being at the time of his death, the oldest Catholic Bishop in the world. At his death, Monsignor Gery Leuliet of the Diocese Amiens, France, became the oldest living prelate at 102. Supposedly, the oldest Bishop after Monsignor Antôine was Francis Hong Yong-ho of Pyongyang, North Korea. The Vatican yearbook kept listing him as the Diocese's Bishop, although no one heard of his whereabouts since 1949, after being arrested by the Communists. If he was alive, he would have been 105 at the time.
The First Bishop of the Diocese of Vinh Long, Monsignor Antôine Nguyễn Văn Thiện was born in Cái Côn, Vietnam, on March 13, 1906, and was ordained to the priesthood at 25 years of age on February 20, 1932, in Nam Vang.
Professor at the Banam Faculty in Cambodia, he was appointed curate of the Tòa Cần Cathedral in 1955. The following year, he founded a printing house in Tòa Cần for religious books.
Aged 54, Father Antôine was appointed as the First Bishop of the Diocese of Vinh Long, when the former Vicariate was raised to a Diocese by the Holy See. He received his episcopal consecration on January 22, 1961, in the Basilica of of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception in Saigon, from Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô-dinh-Thuc, assisted by Bishops Jean Cassaigne MEP., and Thaddée Anselme Le Huu Tu O.Cist.
Establishing two congregation mission centers one for men and the other for women, Bishop Antôine had a new cathedral built and initiated training for lay apostolate. In 1968, he began suffering from a serious eye disease. Treatment under local and foreign specialists proved to be insufficient. His eyesight restriction led him to resign the pastoral government of his see at 62 years of age on July 12, 1968, being named in return, Bishop of the Titular See of Hispellum.
In 1961, the Bishop fell victim of an ambush led by Communist rebels as he was returning home in Vinh Long from a visit to a neighbouring province, but was rescued by a passing military convoy.
Moving to a retirement home in Cần Thơ, the Bishop eventually settled in Nice, France, in 1975. In June 1988, he was the only Vietnamese Bishop who concelebrated with Pope John Paul II in the canonization ceremony of 117 holy martyrs of Vietnam.
A priest for 80 years and a bishop for 51, Monsignor Nguyễn Văn Thiện died in Paris, France, on May 13, 2012, at 10.00 am., at the most venerable age of 106 years, being at the time of his death, the oldest Catholic Bishop in the world. At his death, Monsignor Gery Leuliet of the Diocese Amiens, France, became the oldest living prelate at 102. Supposedly, the oldest Bishop after Monsignor Antôine was Francis Hong Yong-ho of Pyongyang, North Korea. The Vatican yearbook kept listing him as the Diocese's Bishop, although no one heard of his whereabouts since 1949, after being arrested by the Communists. If he was alive, he would have been 105 at the time.
Professor at the Banam Faculty in Cambodia, he was appointed curate of the Tòa Cần Cathedral in 1955. The following year, he founded a printing house in Tòa Cần for religious books.
Aged 54, Father Antôine was appointed as the First Bishop of the Diocese of Vinh Long, when the former Vicariate was raised to a Diocese by the Holy See. He received his episcopal consecration on January 22, 1961, in the Basilica of of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception in Saigon, from Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô-dinh-Thuc, assisted by Bishops Jean Cassaigne MEP., and Thaddée Anselme Le Huu Tu O.Cist.
Establishing two congregation mission centers one for men and the other for women, Bishop Antôine had a new cathedral built and initiated training for lay apostolate. In 1968, he began suffering from a serious eye disease. Treatment under local and foreign specialists proved to be insufficient. His eyesight restriction led him to resign the pastoral government of his see at 62 years of age on July 12, 1968, being named in return, Bishop of the Titular See of Hispellum.
In 1961, the Bishop fell victim of an ambush led by Communist rebels as he was returning home in Vinh Long from a visit to a neighbouring province, but was rescued by a passing military convoy.
Moving to a retirement home in Cần Thơ, the Bishop eventually settled in Nice, France, in 1975. In June 1988, he was the only Vietnamese Bishop who concelebrated with Pope John Paul II in the canonization ceremony of 117 holy martyrs of Vietnam.
A priest for 80 years and a bishop for 51, Monsignor Nguyễn Văn Thiện died in Paris, France, on May 13, 2012, at 10.00 am., at the most venerable age of 106 years, being at the time of his death, the oldest Catholic Bishop in the world. At his death, Monsignor Gery Leuliet of the Diocese Amiens, France, became the oldest living prelate at 102. Supposedly, the oldest Bishop after Monsignor Antôine was Francis Hong Yong-ho of Pyongyang, North Korea. The Vatican yearbook kept listing him as the Diocese's Bishop, although no one heard of his whereabouts since 1949, after being arrested by the Communists. If he was alive, he would have been 105 at the time.
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