The story of the Nineteen Holy Martyrs of Gorkum, Holland fills us with great hope and zeal for our faith.
As of 1572, the heresy of Calvinism had spread throughout much of Europe. Generally, Protestantism was much more successful in the northern parts of Europe and such was the case in Holland (or the Netherlands). Ultimately the Calvinists were victorious militarily and imposed their views, at the point of the sword, upon much of the populace which remained steadfast in their Catholic Faith.
On June 26, the town of Gorkum was attacked by Calvinist pirates called Wassergeuzen (sea beggars) who were deeply opposed to Catholicism and bore a great hatred towards the Spanish princes of the country. These rebels captured nineteen clerics (Franciscans, a Dominican, two Norbertines, the parish priest, and several lay brothers). During their imprisonment, the priests were tortured, subjected to countless indignities, and then offered their freedom if only they would deny their ‘popish superstitions’ of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the primacy of the Vicar of Christ. The country’s ruler (Prince William of Orange) even published an edict that those in authority were to leave priests and religious unmolested. He specifically ordered the release of these clerics at Gorkum. Instead the rebellious magistrates of the town threw their Catholic prisoners, half-naked, into the hold of a ship and transferred them to the town of Briel.
This town had been captured earlier by Calvinists and was held more firmly in their possession. A Protestant nobleman, Admiral Lumey, governed there and he was well noted for his hatred of Catholicism. On July 8th, he interrogated the prisoners and held a kind of debate with them. Each was once more given the chance to renounce his belief in the Blessed Sacrament and the primacy of the Pope. They were promised their freedom if they did so. Yet all remained firm in their faith. Lumey ignored the edict of the Prince of Orange and on July 9th he had all 19 Catholics hanged in a barn. Their bodies, mutilated both before and after death, were then callously thrown into a ditch.
A shrub bearing 19 white flowers sprung at the site of their martyrdom (the ditch). Many miracles have also been attributed to their intercession over the centuries. They were beatified in 1675 and canonized in 1865.The place of their martyrdom remains a great place of pilgrimages and processions. The reliquary of their remains is now enshrined in the Church of Saint Nicholas in Brussels, Belgium.
What is also fascinating about these martyrs is that two of the priests were living wretched and immoral lives. Both had given great scandal to the faithful and one of them was known to have a mistress. Yet both of these priests, although morally corrupt refused to become apostates. One claimed that although he may not have been living a life worthy of emulation and had committed many sins, he would not betray Christ by denying his faith. Although they had lost the supernatural gift of charity (which is lost in any mortal sin), these two priests had not lost the supernatural gift of faith (which is only lost when one willfully denies any one article of the Catholic Faith). Because they remained steadfast in the Faith, God granted them the grace to have contrition for their sins, to die for His sake, and to earn the honor and glory of martyrdom for all eternity.
These nineteen martyrs included in their number nine Franciscans friars. These were (1) Nicholas Pieck, guardian of Gorkum, (2) Hieronymns of Weert, vicar, (3) Theodorus van der Eem, of Amersfoort, (4) Nicasius Janssen, of Heeze, (5) Willehad of Denmark, (6) Godefried of Mervel, (7) Antonius of Weert,(8) Antonius of Hoornaer, and (9) Franciseus de Roye of Brussles. Two lay Franciscan brothers were added from the same monastery that was attacked, they were (10) Petrus of Assche and (11) Cornelius of Wyk. Almost at the same time the Calvinists laid their hands on the learned parish priest of Gorkum, (12) Leonardus Vechel of Bois-le-Duc, who had made distinguished studies at the university in Louvain (Belgium), and also upon his assistant cleric (13) Nicolaas Janssen. Along with all of these men, were also imprisoned (14) Godefried van Duynsen, of Gorkum who was active as a priest there in his native city, and (15) Joannes Lenartz of Oisterwljk, an Augustinian and director of the convent of Augustinian nuns in Gorkum. To these fifteen, who from the very first underwent all the sufferings and torments of the persecution, were later added four more companions. The first was (16) Joannes van Hoornaer, a Dominican of the Cologne province and a parish priest from a hamlet not far from Gorkum, who, when apprised of the incarceration of the clergy of Gorkum, heroically hastened to the city in order to administer the sacraments to them. Thereupon he was seized and imprisoned with the rest. The final three included (17) Jacobus Lacops of Oudenaar, a Norbertine, who after leading a frivolous life, being disobedient to his order, and neglectful of his religious duties, reformed, and had become a curate in Monster, Holland. (18) Adrianus Janssen of Hilvarenbeek, at one time a Premonstratensian and at this time a parish priest in Monster, was also sent to Brielle along with Jacobus Lacops. And lastly (19) Andreas Wouters of Heynoord, whose conduct was not edifying up to the time of his arrest, but who made ample amends by his martyrdom.