July 9th - Holy Martyrs of Gorkum
(Ancient Gor*** or modern day Gorinchem about 25 miles east of Rotterdam)
The year 1572, Luther and Calvin had already wrested from the Church a
great
part of Europe. The iconoclastic storm had swept through the Netherlands,
and
was followed by a struggle between Lutheranism and Calvinism in which the
latter
was victorious. In 1571 the Calvinists held their first synod, at Embden.
On
1
April of the next year the Watergeuzen (Sea-beggars) conquered Briel
(Brielle)
and later Vlissingen and other places. In June, Dortrecht and Gorkum fell
into
their hands and at Gorkum they captured nine Francisans. These were:
Nicholas
Pieck, guardian of Gorkum, Hieronymns of Weert, vicar, Theodorus van der
Eem, of
Amersfoort, Nicasius Janssen, of Heeze, Willehad of Denmark, Godefried of
Mervel, Antonius of Weert, Antonius of Hoornaer, and Franciseus de Roye,
of
Brussels. To these were added two lay brothers from the same monastery,
Petrus
of Assche and Cornelius of Wyk near Duurstede. Almost at the same time the
Calvinists laid their hands on the learned parish priest of Gorkum,
Leonardus
Vechel of Bois-le-Duc, who had made distinguished studies in Louvain, and
also
has assistant Nicolaas Janssen, surnamed Poppel, of Welde in Belgium. With
the
above, were also imprisoned Godefried van Duynsen, of Gorkum who was
active
as a
priest in his native city, and Joannes Lenartz of Oisterwljk, an
Augustinian
and
director of the convent of Augustinian nuns in Gorkum. To these fifteen,
who
from the very first underwent all the sufferings and torments of the
persecution, were later added four more companions: Joannes van Hoornaer,
a
Dominican of the Cologne province and parish priest not far from Gorkum,
who,
when apprised of the incarceration of the clergy of Gorkum, hastened to
the
city
in order to administer the sacraments to them and was seized and
imprisoned
with
the rest, Jacobus Lacops of Oudenaar, a Norbertine, who after leading a
frivolous life, being disobedient to his order, and neglectful of his
religious
duties, reformed, became a curate in Monster, Holland (about 10 miles west
of
The Hague) and was imprisoned in 1572; Adrianus Janssen of Hilvarenbeek,
at
one
time a Premonstratensian and parish priest in Monster, who was sent to
Brielle
with Jacobus Lacops; and lastly Andreas Wouters of Heynoord, whose conduct
was
not edifying up to the time of his arrest, but who made ample amends by
his
martyrdom.
After enduring much suffering and abuse in the prison at Gorkum (26 June-6
July)
the first fifteen martyrs were transferred to Brielle. On their way to
Dortrecht
they were exhibited for money to the curious and arrived at Brielle 13
July.
On
the following day, Lumey, the commander of the Watergeuzen, caused the
martyrs
to be interrogated and ordered a sort of disputation. In the meantime the
four
other martyrs also arrived. It was exacted of each that he abandon his
belief in
the Blessed Sacrament and in papal supremacy. All remained firm in their
faith.
Meanwhile there came a letter from William of Orange which enjoined all
those in
authority to leave priests and religious unmolested. Nevertheless Lumey
caused
the martyrs to be hanged in the night of 9 July, in a turfshed amid cruel
mutilations. Their beatification took place on 14 Nov., 1675, and their
canonization on 29 June, 1865. For many years the place of their martyrdom
in
Brielle has been the scene of numerous pilgrimages and processions.
This Version Taken From:
www.newadvent.org/cathen/06651c.htm
Quote:
Do not reason about afflictions and contradictions, but receive them with
patience and sweetness, feeling that it is enough to know that they come
from
the hand of God.
-St. Francis de Sales
Bible Quote
7 Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless
into
thy
house: when thou shalt see one ****d, cover him, and despise not thy own
flesh.
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall
speedily
arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord
shall
gather thee up. (Isaias 58:7-8)
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Prayer for Lost Objects
Saint Anthony, when you prayed your stolen book of prayers was given back
to
you.
Pray now for all of us who have lost things precious and dear.
Pray for all who have lost faith, hope or the friend****p of God.
Pray for us who have lost friends or relatives by death.
Pray for all who have lost peace of mind or spirit.
Pray that we may be given new hope, new faith, new love.
Pray that lost things, needful and helpful to us, may be returned to our
keeping.
Or, if we must continue in our loss,
pray that we may be given Christ's comfort and peace. Amen.
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