| The Martyrs of Gorkum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 16th century |
| Died | 9 July 1572,Brielle,County of Holland,Holy Roman Empire |
| Martyred by | TheWatergeuzen |
| Means of martyrdom | Hanging |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church (Netherlands and theOrder of Friars Minor) |
| Beatified | 14 November 1675,Rome,Papal States,byPope Clement X |
| Canonized | 29 June 1867[1], Rome, Papal States,byPope Pius IX |
| Majorshrine | Church of St. Nicholas,Brussels, Belgium |
| Feast | 9 July |
| Notable martyrs | Nicholas Pieck; Hieronymus of Weert; Theodorus van der Eem; Nicasius Janssen; Willehad of Denmark; Godefried of Mervel; Antonius of Weert; Antonius of Hoornaer; Franciseus de Roye ofBrussels; Godefried van Duynsen of Gorkum,Joannes van Hoornaer, Jacobus Lacops of Oudenaar, Adrianus Janssen ofHilvarenbeek, Andreas Wouters of Heynoord and Joannes Lenartz of Oisterwijk |
TheMartyrs of Gorkum (Dutch:Martelaren van Gorcum) were a group of 19DutchCatholic clerics, secular and religious, who were hanged on 9 July 1572 in the town ofBrielle by militant DutchCalvinists during the16th-century religious wars—specifically, theDutch Revolt against Spanish rule, which developed into theEighty Years' War.
In the first half of the 16th century, various forms ofProtestantism—particularly,Lutheranism andCalvinism—were spreading through Western Europe. In theLow Countries, then under the rule of Spain, EmperorCharles V and his son King Philip II instituted a systematic campaign to root out the new religious movements, which resulted in political resentment towards the authorities, including the Catholic Church. Inhabitants of the northern Netherlands who were primarily Protestant began to turn against the Catholic priests and monastics present.[2]
By 1572 the Netherlands were in open revolt against Spanish rule, while in the internal rivalry among the Protestant denominations, Calvinism managed to suppress Lutheranism. On 1 April of the next year, Calvinist forces and a rebel group called theWatergeuzen (Sea Beggars) captured Brielle (Den Briel) and laterVlissingen (Flushing).[3]
In June,Dordrecht andGorkum fell, and at the latter the rebels captured nineFranciscan priests:Nicholas Pieck, guardian of Gorkum; Hieronymus 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 Franciscus de Roye ofBrussels. To these were added twolay brothers from the same friary, Petrus of Assche and Cornelius ofWijk bij Duurstede. At almost the same time the Calvinists arrested theparish priest of Gorkum, Leonardus Vechel of's-Hertogenbosch, and his assistant.[3]
Also imprisoned were Godefried van Duynsen of Gorkum, a priest in his native city, and Joannes Lenartz of Oisterwijk, aCanon Regular from a nearby priory andspiritual director for the monastery of Augustinian nuns in Gorkum. To these fifteen were later added four more companions:Joannes van Hoornaer (alias known as John of Cologne), aDominican 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, aNorbertine, who became acurate inMonster, South Holland; Adrianus Janssen ofHilvarenbeek, aPremonstratensian canon and at one time parish priest in Monster, who was sent to Brielle with Jacobus Lacops. Last was Andreas Wouters of Heynoord.[3]
In prison at Gorkum (from 26 June to 6 July 1572), the first 15 prisoners were transferred to Brielle, arriving there on 8 July.[4] On their way to Dordrecht they were exhibited for money to the curious. The following day,William de la Marck, Lord of Lumey, commander of theGueux de mer, had them interrogated and ordered adisputation. In the meantime, four others arrived. It was demanded of each that he abandon his belief in theTransubstantiation, the doctrine of the real presence of Christ in theBlessed Sacrament, as well as the belief in thePapal supremacy. All remained firm in their faith. Meanwhile, there came a letter from thePrince of Orange,William the Silent, which enjoined all those in authority to leave priests andreligious unmolested. Despite this call, on 9 July, they were hanged in aturfshed.[3]
A shrub bearing 19 white flowers is said to have sprung up at the site of their martyrdom. Many miracles have since been attributed to the intercession of the Gorkum Martyrs, especially the curing of hernias.[4] Thebeatification of the martyrs took place on 14 November 1675, and theircanonization on 29 June 1867.[1][5] Their elevation to sainthood, which took place on theFeast of Saints Peter and Paul, was part of grand celebrations marking 1,800 years since the traditional year for the martyrdom of the two apostles in Rome.[6]
For many years the place of their martyrdom in Brielle has been the scene of numerouspilgrimages and processions. The reliquary of their remains is now enshrined in theChurch of St. Nicholas in Brussels.
There were 11Franciscan friars orMinderbroeders ('friars minor'), oneDominican friar orPredikheer, twoNorbertinecanons regular and a local canon regular, orwitheren and fivewereldheren ('secular clergy'). The 19 put to death on 9 July 1572 were:[3][7]
Media related toMartyrs of Gorkum at Wikimedia Commons