Died 1968 | ||
John-Baptiste Nguyễn Bửu Đồng was a Vietnamese Roman Catholic priest from the city of Huế who was murdered by the Việtcộng during the 1968 Tet Offensive.
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Life
Bửu Đồng was a parish priest of a village east of Huế. As the area was inhabited by many Việtcộng, he worked hard to stay on good terms with both them and the Army of Vietnam (ARVN) during the war. In 1967, he reportedly invited both Việtcộng and ARVN soldiers to sit together for Christmas dinner. He accepted sewing machines for his parishioners from American USAID programs.
Death
On the first day of the Tet Offensive, 30 January 1968, Việtcộng troops led Bửu Đồng to a nearby pagoda for questioning. He was later released after a passionate appeal by elders of his parish. Five days later, the Việtcộng returned and searched his rectory. Seizing his binoculars, camera, typewriter and picture of Hồ Chí Minh, the troops led the priest, aged 57, and two seminarians away. His corpse was found on 8 November 1969 at Luong Vien, about 30 kilometers northeast of Huế. The bodies of two other Catholic priests were in the same grave. This location contained a series of graves with a total of 20 bodies.
Letters
In his eyeglass case were found three letters. One was to his aged parents, another to his brothers, sisters, and cousins. The third letter was to his parishioners. The letter read: