John Cornelius ( Irish: ''Seán Conchobhar Ó Mathghamhna''; 1557 – 4 July 1594) also called Mohun, was an Irish

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' refe ...

and

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

born in

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

. He is a Catholic martyr,

beatified Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the ...

in 1929.

Life

John Cornelius was born John Conor O’Mahony, in 1557 of parents from

Gaelic Ireland Gaelic Ireland () was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late Prehistory of Ireland, prehistoric era until the 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Norman invasi ...

, at

Bodmin Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor. The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordered ...

, in

, on the estate of Sir John Arundell of Lanherne. O'Mahony later Latinized his middle name, taking the name John Cornelius."July 2nd: Blessed John Cornelius, SJ", The Jesuits, Singapore
/ref> Sir John Arundell took an interest in the boy and arranged for him to come up to

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and the fourth-oldest college of the university. The college was founde ...

. Cornelius went on to the seminary at Reims, and a little later, on 1 April 1580, entered the English College, Rome, to pursue theological studies. After

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

in 1583, he was sent as a missionary to England and served for nearly ten years, making Arundell's house his base of operations. He was the family's priest and he formed a close relationship particularly with Dorothy Arundell whom he encouraged to become a nun. While acting as chaplain to Sir John's widow Anne, Lady Arundell, he was arrested on 24 April 1594, at Chideock Castle, by the sheriff of Dorsetshire,Fraser p.20 having been betrayed by one William Holmes, a servant whom he had reprimanded for bothering one of the maids. Cornelius was met on the way by Thomas Bosgrave, a relative of the Arundell family, who offered him his own hat, as he had been dragged out bareheaded. Thereupon, Bosgrave was also arrested. Two servants of the castle, John (or Terence) Carey and Patrick Salmon,

Hiberno-Norman Norman Irish or Hiberno-Normans (; ) is a modern term for the descendants of Norman settlers who arrived during the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. Most came from England and Wales. They are distinguished from the native ...

natives of

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, shared the same fate. When they reached the sheriff's house a number of Anglican clergymen heaped abuse upon the Catholic religion, but the sheriff stopped the disputation. The missionary was sent to London and brought before the

Lord Treasurer The Lord High Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Acts of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third-highest-ranked Great Officer of State in England, below the Lord ...

, the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

, and others, who, by threats and torture, tried to obtain the names of those who had given him shelter or assistance. He was brought back to Dorchester. Cornelius was accused of

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its d ...

, because he was a priest and had returned to England, contrary to the Jesuits, etc. Act 1584; the others were charged with

felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "''félonie''") to describe an offense that r ...

, for having rendered assistance to one whom they knew to be a priest; but all were assured that their lives would be spared if they embraced Protestantism. While in prison, John Cornelius was admitted to membership in the Society of Jesus. Their trial took place in the main hall of what is now Chideock House Hotel and they were condemned to death on 2 July 1594 and executed in Dorchester two days later. The first to ascend the scaffold was John Carey; he kissed the rope, exclaiming "O precious collar", made a solemn profession of faith and died a valiant death. Before his execution Patrick Salmon exhorted the spectators to embrace the Catholic faith, for which he and his companions were giving their lives. Then followed Thomas Bosgrave, who delivered a stirring address on the truth of his belief. The last to suffer was John Cornelius, who kissed the gallows and then quoted

St. Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Apostles in the New Testament, Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Chu ...

, "O good Cross, long desired", etc. On the ladder, he tried to speak to the multitude, but was prevented. After praying for his executioners and for the welfare of the queen, John Cornelius also was executed. His body was taken down and quartered, his head was nailed to the gibbet but soon removed. All the bodies were retrieved and given a proper burial by Lady Arundell. Dorothy Arundell did become a nun and she wrote "Life of Father Cornelius the Martyr" which was kept in the Vatican, but is now lost. The executed men became known as the Chideock Martyrs. A fifth man, Hugh Green, who became Chideock's chaplain in 1612, was tried and executed in 1642. All five were

on 15 December 1929.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cornelius, John 1557 births 1594 deaths English beatified people 16th-century English Jesuits Jesuit martyrs Executed Cornish people 16th-century Roman Catholic martyrs 16th-century venerated Christians People from Bodmin People executed under Elizabeth I by hanging, drawing and quartering One Hundred and Seven Martyrs of England and Wales 24 Irish Catholic Martyrs Cornish saints

Life

See also

References