Religious Blessings

Patrick O’Hely, O.F.M., Bishop of Mayo and
Fr. Conn O’Rourke, O.F.M. martyred here 13-8-1579
and
Fr. Maurice MacEnraghty, from Kilmallock
Martyred in Clonmel 20-4-1585.
All three beatified 27-9-1992.
Monument in Their Memory unveiled
here on 14th June 1998 by
Bishop Fiachra Ó Ceallaigh O.F.M.

“Is beannaithe na mairbh a fhaigheann bás sa Tiarna”
Blessed are those who die in the Lord

With recent blogs rattling around upstairs, I was sorting out and putting my photographs from the past few months into folders. I came across these photographs from last June in Kilmallock.

 The martyrs were beatified 16 years ago today which is probably reason enough for a blog entry and also for a trail of the internet to learn some more.

Beatification is the third of four steps on the road to sainthood. Wiki is unsure if Pope John Paul II beatified 1,327 or 1,340 people but says that he beatified more people than from 1590 upto his appointment. 17 Irish people were beatified on that one day in 1998.

From the little I have read – all of it today – the three commemorated in Kilmallock were killed for refusing to give up their religious beliefs – which appears to tick the box for martyrdom. Similar to Thursday, I have having difficulty with church involvement in wars with regard to a few of the others.

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Br. Dominic Collins appears to have been a soldier before becoming a brother in Spain. He returned to Ireland as a soldier and fought in battles. After the siege of Dunboy in 1602, all who were captured were executed except Br. Collins – first he was tortured to persuade him to revoke his religion but then, like his fellow soldiers, he too was executed.

He was a fighter. He came as a fighter. He was executed as were his fellow fighters. Why was he more important than his fellow fighters who were executed? Why is he a martyr and not his fellow soldiers? Were his actions as a soldier compatible with the Commandments or does that bring up an argument of a just war to overturn a state?

 Matthew Lambert aided and abetted the escape of someone who had attempted to overthrow the state and was dealt with by the laws of the state at the time. There are some in prison now for aiding and abetting. They have been dealt with by the laws now in force.

Matthew Lambert was also asked as to his politics and religion and didn’t deny his beliefs. There have been many since who have died in prison who confirmed their beliefs before being executed.

Joseph Mary Plunkett prior to his execution is quoted as saying: “I am very happy I am dying for the glory of God and the honour of Ireland.”  I haven’t read of proposals for his beatification.

Many can and probably have argued as to the validity and appropriateness of the laws of the state at the different times in question. Stepping outside that argument, the beatifications do appear to be an endorsement of violence against the state.

It was only sixteen years ago. It does cause to wonder as to separation of church and state in this country.

Youghal, Co. Cork

“Br. Dominic Collins  

Br. Dominic Collins was born in Youghal Co. Cork in 1566. In 1586, he moved to France where he had a successful military career, notably refusing a large bribe from Henry of Navarre to return a captured chateau to the Huguenots.

After moving to Spain he met Fr Thomas White S.J. and in 1598 at 32years of age, joined the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. During a plague when many were dying he stayed to nurse colleagues putting his own life at risk though others reportedly fled. Following that he was appointed to accompany Fr. James Archer with the Spanish fleet dispatched by the Spanish King in 1601 to assist the embattled northern earls O’ Neill and O’ Donnell in their fighting against the Crown’s forces. After the disastrous defeat of Kinsale, Collins accompanied the Gaelic chieftain O’ Sullivan Beare to his stronghold in Dunboy. There in June 1602 a siege resulted in all being executed except Collins who was transferred to Cork prison. It is thought that he was kept alive in the hope that his military prowess would be used against the local resistance. He was exhorted to renounce the faith and his vocation but refused despite torture and offers of high ecclesiastical office. On October 31st, he was marched through the streets and hanged at Youghal. He spoke so eloquently that the hangman refused to do his work and a poor fisherman was dragooned. His last words were that he had come to Ireland to preach the catholic faith.”

Irish Martyr Booklet

Dingle, Co. Kerry
Plaque to James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald

“THERE’S WINE FROM THE ROYAL POPE
UPON THE OCEAN GREEN
AND SPANISH ALE SHALL BRING YOU
HOPE     MY DARK ROSALEEN”

“Bishop Patrick Healy and Fr. Conn O’ Rourke

Fr. Conn O’ Rourke was born in 1549 in Breifne of a noble family. He joined the Franciscan monastery in Dromahaire which his grandparents helped found and was sent to Europe for study, where he met Bishop Patrick Healy.

Bishop Healy, one of the first bishops martyred in penal times, was born c. 1543, became a Franciscan priest and was educated in Spain where he stood out as a brilliant academic. In 1562 he travelled to Rome and was appointed as Bishop of Mayo there in 1576. Following time in Spain and France, he and Fr. Conn O’ Rourke left Brittany dressed as mariners and landed secretly in Smerwick Co. Kerry.

While travelling to Limerick they were betrayed and Mayor James Goold imprisoned them. Following a secret trial by martial law with no opportunity to speak and no jury, Bishop Healy was ordered to take the Oath of Supremacy. Despite having sharp spines driven through fingers resulting in amputations and bribes of high office, he refused and was condemned to death by hanging by Sir William Drury Lord Chief Justice of Munster.

Before death he addressed bystanders exhorting them to remain faithful. He was reported to have faced death joyfully and encouraged Fr. Conn to face death likewise. With Fr. Conn O Rourke, he was publicly hanged at Kilmallock Co. Limerick on 13th August 1579, the corpses being ill-treated to intimidate the people. In executing them, the government broke its own laws requiring two previous convictions for maintaining papal authority and a trial by jury.”

Irish Martyr Booklet

“Fr. Maurice MacKenraghty
 
He was born in Kilmallock living under the patronage of the Earl of Desmond. However between 1569 to 1573 and 1579 to 1583, Munster was devastated by the 1st and 2nd Desmond wars. Desmond captured and sacked Youghal in November 1579 and Fr. Maurice was his chaplain until his capture on 17 September 1583. He was sent to prison in Clonmel for two years but his release was secured by a Mr. Victor White who asked the chief jailor for permission to have the priest say Mass and hear confessions on Holy Saturday night. The chief jailor however betrayed them and the house was raided as he was about to say Mass. He escaped, but upon hearing Victor White was threatened with death, he sent word to White that he would surrender. White responded that he would prefer ‘to lose liberty and life’ rather than that the priest should die. But Fr. MacKenraghty gave himself up. He was repeatedly asked to renounce the Catholic faith, acknowledge the Queen and name names of those who had attended the sacraments. On sentence of death, he advised bystanders to be obedient to the Pope. He was executed under martial law, with no jury. On the 20th of April 1585, hewas hanged, drawn and beheaded, his head exposed in a prominent place.”

Irish Martyr Booklet

“Matthew Lambert, Robert Myler, Edward Cheevers, Patrick Cavanagh and two unidentified sailors.  

1579 in Ireland saw rebellion around the country, beginning with the landing of James Fitzmaurice in Smerwick Co. Kerry on the 18th of July, to proclaim war for defence of the Faith against the State. Revolts against the Queen’s army occurred in Munster and patches of Leinster and Connaught.

In July 1580 Viscount Baltinglass of Leinster took up arms for the Pope but despite some gains in Wicklow, the Irish were defeated and he had to flee for his life. He eventually found refuge with Matthew Lambert who fed him and his chaplain Fr. Rogert Rochford and tried to arrange a safe passage for them. They were betrayed however and with five sailors: Robert Myler, Edward Cheevers, Patrick Cavanagh and two unidentified others, were arrested, imprisoned and hanged, drawn and quartered in Wexford on the 5th of July 1581, following torture

At their trial, to all questions about matters of politics and religion, about the Pope and the Queen, Matthew Lambert gave the simple answer: “I am not a learned man, I am unable to debate with you, but I can tell you this, I am a Catholic and I believe whatever Our Holy Mother the Catholic Church believes.”  The sailors too were tortured but professed their faith despite pleas from their families to retract.”

Irish Martyr Booklet