The Martyrs of Gorkum () were a group of 19

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

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 ...

clerics, secular and religious, who were hanged on 9 July 1572 in the town of

Brielle Brielle (), also called Den Briel in Dutch and Brill in English, is a town and historic seaport in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, on the north side of the island of Voorne-Putten, at the mouth of the New Maas. The for ...

by militant Dutch

Calvinists Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian, ...

during the 16th-century religious wars—specifically, the

Dutch Revolt The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Reformation, centralisation, exc ...

against Spanish rule, which developed into the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...

Events

In the first half of the 16th century, various forms of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

—particularly,

Lutheranism Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

and

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

—were spreading through Western Europe. In the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

, then under the rule of Spain, Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

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."Geschiedenis van de H. Godefridus van Melveren"
Melveren.be, accessed 11 November 2024 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 the ''Watergeuzen'' (

Sea Beggars ''Geuzen'' (; ; ) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called ''Watergeuzen'' (; ; ). In the Eigh ...

) captured Brielle (Den Briel) and later

Vlissingen Vlissingen (; ) is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an importan ...

(Flushing).Albers, Petrus Henricus
"The Martyrs of Gorkum"
in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company (1909). Accessed 9 July 2013. In June,

Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Western Netherlands, lo ...

and Gorkum fell, and at the latter the rebels captured nine

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

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 of

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

. To these were added two

lay brother Lay brother is a largely extinct term referring to religious brothers, particularly in the Catholic Church, who focused upon manual service and secular matters, and were distinguished from choir monks or friars in that they did not pray in choi ...

s from the same friary, Petrus of Assche and Cornelius of

Wijk bij Duurstede Wijk bij Duurstede () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the central Netherlands. Population centres *Cothen *Langbroek *Wijk bij Duurstede Topography ''Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Wijk bij Du ...

. At almost the same time the Calvinists arrested the

parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

of Gorkum, Leonardus Vechel of

's-Hertogenbosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 160,783. It is the capital of ...

, and his assistant. Also imprisoned were Godefried van Duynsen of Gorkum, a priest in his native city, and Joannes Lenartz of Oisterwijk, a

Canon Regular The Canons Regular of St. Augustine are Catholic priests who live in community under a rule ( and κανών, ''kanon'', in Greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religiou ...

from a nearby priory and

spiritual director Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divinity, divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters ...

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), 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 The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular in the Catholic Church ...

, who became a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () of souls of a parish. In this sense, ''curate'' means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy who are as ...

Monster, South Holland Monster is a large village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, municipality of the Netherlands, Westland, and lies about south-west of The Hague. The village of Monster has a populat ...

; Adrianus Janssen of

Hilvarenbeek Hilvarenbeek () is a municipality and a town in the south of the Netherlands, along the border with Belgium. The biggest tourist attraction is called Beekse Bergen, consisting of a safari park, amusement park/playground, holiday bungalow park, an ...

, a

Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular in the Catholic Chur ...

canon and at one time parish priest in Monster, who was sent to Brielle with Jacobus Lacops. Last was Andreas Wouters of Heynoord. Johan Zierneels - The Apotheosis of the Martyrs of Gorkum

Johan Zierneels - The Apotheosis of the Martyrs of Gorkum

In prison at Gorkum (from 26 June to 6 July 1572), the first 15 prisoners were transferred to Brielle, arriving there on 8 July. On their way to Dordrecht they were exhibited for money to the curious. The following day,

William de la Marck, Lord of Lumey William II de la Marck (Lummen, 1542 – Bishopric of Liège, 1 May 1578) (Dutch: ''Willem II van der Marck'') was the Lord of Lumey and initially admiral of the Watergeuzen, the so-called 'sea beggars' who fought in the Eighty Years' War (15 ...

, commander of the '' Gueux de mer'', had them interrogated and ordered a

disputation Disputation is a genre of literature involving two contenders who seek to establish a resolution to a problem or establish the superiority of something. An example of the latter is in Sumerian disputation poems. In the scholastic system of e ...

. In the meantime, four others arrived. It was demanded of each that he abandon his belief in the

Transubstantiation Transubstantiation (; Greek language, Greek: μετουσίωσις ''metousiosis'') is, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, "the change of the whole substance of sacramental bread, bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and ...

, the doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the

Blessed Sacrament The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...

, as well as the belief in the

Papal supremacy Papal supremacy is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that the Pope, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, the visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful, and as priest of the ...

. All remained firm in their faith. Meanwhile, there came a letter from the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by the stadtholders of, and then the heirs apparent of ...

William the Silent William the Silent or William the Taciturn (; 24 April 153310 July 1584), more commonly known in the Netherlands as William of Orange (), was the leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburg Netherlands, Habsburgs that set off the ...

, which enjoined all those in authority to leave priests and

religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...

unmolested. Despite this call, on 9 July, they were hanged in a turfshed.

Veneration

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.Dominican Friars, Province of St. Joseph (8 July 2012)
"Dominican Saints 101: St. John of Cologne"
Accessed 9 July 2013. The

beatification 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 p ...

of the martyrs took place on 14 November 1675, and their

canonization Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christianity, Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon ca ...

on 29 June 1867."Martyrs of Gorkum", Oxford Reference
/ref> Their elevation to sainthood, which took place on the

Feast of Saints Peter and Paul The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul or Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June. The celebration is of ancient Chri ...

, was part of grand celebrations marking 1,800 years since the traditional year for the martyrdom of the two apostles in Rome.McCarthy, Kathleen. "The martyrs of Gorkum – a painting in the Goold collection", ''Footprints'', Volume 30 Issue 2 (Dec 2015)
For many years the place of their martyrdom in Brielle has been the scene of numerous

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

s and processions. The reliquary of their remains is now enshrined in the Church of St. Nicholas in Brussels.

The 19 martyrs

There were 11

friars or ''Minderbroeders'' ('friars minor'), one Dominican friar or ''Predikheer'', two

canons regular The Canons Regular of St. Augustine are Catholic priests who live in community under a rule ( and κανών, ''kanon'', in Greek) and are generally organised into Religious order (Catholic), religious orders, differing from both Secular clergy, ...

and a local canon regular, or ''witheren'' and five ''wereldheren'' ('

secular clergy In Christianity, the term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or otherwise members of religious life. Secular priests (sometimes known as diocesan priests) are priests who commit themselves to a certain geograph ...

'). The 19 put to death on 9 July 1572 were:Butler, Alban
"July 9: SS. Martyrs of Gorcum"
in ''Lives of the Saints'', Vol. VII, (1866). Accessed 9 July 2013. * Leonard van Veghel (born 1527), spokesman, secular priest, and since 1566 pastor of Gorkum * Peter of Assche (born 1530), Franciscan

* Andrew Wouters (born 1542), secular priest, pastor of Heinenoord in the

Hoeksche Waard The Hoekse Waard (; pre-1947 spelling: Hoeksche Waard) is an island between the Oude Maas, Dordtsche Kil, Hollands Diep, Haringvliet and Spui rivers in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. The island, part of the namesake munici ...

* Nicasius of Heeze (born 1522), Franciscan friar, theologian and priest * Jerome of Weert (born 1522), Franciscan friar, priest, pastor in Gorcum * Anthony of Hoornaar, Franciscan friar and priest * Godfried van Duynen (born 1502), secular priest, former pastor in northern France * Willehad of Denmark (born 1482), Franciscan friar and priest * James Lacobs (born 1541), Norbertine canon * Francis of Roye (born 1549), Franciscan friar and priest * John of Cologne, Dominican friar, pastor in

Hoornaar Hoornaar is a town in the Netherlands, Dutch province of South Holland, in the Alblasserwaard, north of the river Merwede and south of the river Lek (river), Lek. It is a part of the municipality of Molenlanden, and lies about 5 km north of Go ...

near Gorkum * Anthony of Weert (born 1523), Franciscan friar and priest * (born c. 1499–1502), Franciscan friar and priest, chaplain to a community of Franciscan

Tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...

Sisters in Gorkum * Cornelius of Wijk bij Duurstede (born 1548), Franciscan lay brother * Adrian van Hilvarenbeek (born 1528), Norbertine canon and pastor in

* Godfried of Mervel,

Vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

of Melveren,

Sint-Truiden Sint-Truiden (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in the Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium. With more than 41,500 inhabitants, it is on ...

(born 1512), Franciscan priest,

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

of the friary in Gorkum * Jan of Oisterwijk (born 1504), Augustinian

canon regular The Canons Regular of St. Augustine are Catholic priests who live in community under a rule ( and κανών, ''kanon'', in Greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religiou ...

, a chaplain for the

Beguinage A beguinage, from the French language, French term , is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world. Originally the beguine institution w ...

in Gorkum * (born 1532), secular priest,

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

in Gorkum * Nicholas Pieck (born 1534), Franciscan friar, priest and theologian,

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...

of the friary in Gorkum, his native city

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Martyrs of Gorkum 16th-century births 1572 deaths Gorkum Dutch Roman Catholic saints Eighty Years' War (1566–1609) History of South Holland Martyred groups Deaths by hanging 16th-century Christian saints Gorkum Martyred Roman Catholic priests Franciscan martyrs Franciscan saints Premonstratensians Canonical Augustinian martyrs Canonical Augustinian saints Dominican martyrs Dominican saints Canonized Roman Catholic religious brothers Canonizations by Pope Pius IX 1572 in Europe Gorinchem History of Voorne aan Zee Beatifications by Pope Clement X

Events

Veneration

The 19 martyrs

See also

References

External links