Mark Barkworth
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Mark Barkworth, OSB (alias Mark Lambert; c. 1572 – 1601) was a
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
priest, oblate of the
Order of St Benedict The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...
, and martyr.


Life

Born around 1572 at Searby, Lincolnshire, he studied for a time at
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, though no record remains of his stay there. Originally raised as a Protestant, he was received into the Catholic Church at
Douai Douai ( , , ; ; ; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord département in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe (rive ...
in 1593, by Father George, a Flemish Jesuit, and entered the College there with a view to the priesthood. He matriculated at Douai University on 5 October 1594.Camm, Bede. "Ven. Mark Barkworth." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 11 Mar. 2013
/ref> Due to an outbreak of the plague in 1596 Barkworth was sent to Rome and thence to the Royal College of St. Alban in
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, Spain, where he entered the English College on 28 December 1596. On his way to Spain he is said to have had a vision of
St Benedict Benedict of Nursia (; ; 2 March 480 – 21 March 547), often known as Saint Benedict, was a Christian monk. He is famed in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Churches, the Anglican Communion, and Old Catholic Ch ...
, who told him he would die a martyr, in the
Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
habit. While at Valladolid he made firmer contact with the Benedictine Order. He was ordained priest at the English College some time before July 1599, when he set out for the English Mission together with Father Thomas Garnet. On his way he stayed at the Benedictine Monastery of Hyrache in
Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...
, where his wish to join the order was granted by his being made an
Oblate In Christianity (specifically the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist traditions), an oblate is a person associated with a Benedictine monastery or convent who is specifically dedicated to God and service. Oblates are i ...
with the privilege of making profession at the hour of death.


Martyrdom

After having escaped from the hands of the
Huguenots The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
of
La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...
, he was arrested on reaching England. and thrown into
Newgate Newgate was one of the historic seven gates of the London Wall around the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. Newgate lay on the west side of the wall and the road issuing from it headed over the River Fleet to Mid ...
. At this time it was considered treason to be a priest in England who had been ordained abroad, and he was imprisoned for six months, and was then transferred to
Bridewell Bridewell Palace in London was built as a residence of King Henry VIII and was one of his homes early in his reign for eight years. Given to the City of London Corporation by his son King Edward VI in 1553 as Bridewell Hospital for use as a ...
. There he wrote an appeal to Robert Cecil, signed "George Barkworth". At his examinations he was reported to behave with fearlessness and frank gaiety. Having been condemned with a formal jury verdict, he was thrown into "Limbo", the horrible underground dungeon at Newgate, where he is said to have remained "very cheerful" till his death. Barkworth was executed at
Tyburn Tyburn was a Manorialism, manor (estate) in London, Middlesex, England, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. Tyburn took its name from the Tyburn Brook, a tributary of the River Westbourne. The name Tyburn, from Teo Bourne ...
with Jesuit Roger Filcock and
Anne Line Anne Line (''c.'' 1563 – 27 February 1601) was an English people, English Catholic Church, Catholic Christian martyr, martyr. After losing her husband, she became very active in sheltering clandestine Catholic priests, which was illegal in th ...
, on 27 February 1601. He sang, on the way to Tyburn, the Paschal Anthem: "''Hæc dies, quam fecit Dominus, exultemus et lætemur in ea''" ("This is the day, the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it"). On his arrival he kissed the robe of Line, who was already dead, saying: "Ah, sister, thou hast got the start of us, but we will follow thee as quickly as we may"; and told the people that Pope St. Gregory had sent the Benedictine monks to evangelize England, saying "I am come here to die, being a Catholic, a priest, and a religious man, belonging to the Order of St Benedict; it was by this same order that England was converted." He was said to be "a man of stature tall and well proportioned showing strength, the hair of his head brown, his beard yellow, somewhat heavy eyed". He was of a cheerful disposition. He suffered in the Benedictine habit, under which he wore a hair-shirt. It was noticed that his knees were, like St. James', hardened by constant kneeling, and an apprentice in the crowd picking up his legs, after the quartering, called out: "Which of you Gospellers can show such a knee?" Contrary to usual practice, the quarters of the priests were not exposed but buried near the scaffold. Barkworth was beatified by Pope
Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...
on 15 December 1929."Blessed Mark Barkworth OSB", San Albano
/ref>


See also

*
Douai Martyrs The Douai Martyrs is a name applied by the Catholic Church to 158 Catholic priests from Great Britain who studied at the English College, Douai and were subsequently executed by the Kingdom of England between 1577 and 1680. History Having com ...


References


Sources

*See: Godfrey Anstruther, ''Seminary Priests'',
St Edmund's College, Ware St Edmund's College is a coeducational private day and boarding school in the British public school tradition, set in in Ware, Hertfordshire. Founded in 1568 as a seminary, then a boys' school, it is the oldest continuously operatinga claim ...
, 1968, vol. I, pp. 21–22, 116, 274-275. {{DEFAULTSORT:Barkworth, Mark 1570s births 1601 deaths Converts to Roman Catholicism Alumni of the University of Oxford English College, Douai alumni English College, Valladolid alumni English Benedictines People from West Lindsey District 16th-century English Roman Catholic priests English beatified people People executed under Elizabeth I by hanging, drawing and quartering Executed people from Lincolnshire 17th-century venerated Christians One Hundred and Seven Martyrs of England and Wales Executed Roman Catholic priests