Who Is Brother Marcel Van? The Hidden Saint of Vietnam (Joanne Wright) - 12/3/25

12/3/25 - Brother Marcel Van, a Vietnamese Redemptorist known as the "Apostle of Love," grew up in a small Catholic village in northern Vietnam, where he experienced a profound personal conversion to Christ as a child. Embracing radical humility and mystical intimacy with God, he followed St. Thérèse of Lisieux's "Little Way," dedicating himself as the "heart of priests" through prayer, suffering, and love for the spiritual growth of others. Imprisoned after voluntarily returning to communist‑ruled North Vietnam, Marcel ministered to fellow prisoners and maintained unwavering faith under persecution until his death in 1959. His mystical visions, writings, and heroic witness continue to inspire, and his cause for beatification highlights a life of simplicity, love, and total self‑surrender.