Free Copy FOREWORD From the 7th tothe10th century, many monks and missionaries left Ireland for mainland Europe and kept the faith alive on that continent during its dark ages, when Barbarian invasions from the East resulted in the break-up of the Roman Empire. Most of these missionaries never returned to their homeland but endured a lifelong exile known as ‘white martyrdom’. From the 1570s to the 1680s the Church in Ireland experienced periods of violent persecution that were in intensity, on a par with what the early Christians suffered at the hands of the Roman Empire. Nevertheless many priests returned to Ireland during this period from the continent where they had been formed and educated. Together with people from all social classes, clergy and laity they kept the Faith alive in Ireland by shedding their blood in what was a ‘red martyrdom’. Tertullian said: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of faith”. In Europe, populations tended to adopt the state religion over time. In Ireland however, the vast majority of the population did not do so but remained steadfast in their faith. The witness of the martyrs must surely have helped to sustain the Faith in Ireland during this period. What is more, in the face of terrible injustices, these martyrs are witnesses to the power of forgiveness and love, which records often show, they freely gave their persecutors. When the early Church received the freedom to worship it promoted and remembered the martyrs, adding their names to the liturgy, celebrating their feast days and building shrines and churches where they were buried. Unfortunately commemoration of the Irish martyrs was largely neglected. This annual novena (see leaflet) seeks to re ignite interest in those martyrs already honoured by the Church and also to promote the causeofthemany yet to be beatified. We, in the name of Our Lord and King, Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and Divine Mercy, pray for forgiveness for all past hatreds and profound hurts scarring men, women and children resulting from any violence, abuse or apathy on this island and we offer this novena/prayer- walk for full healing and reconciliation. “Glory be to Him, Whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine, glory be to Him, from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus forever. Amen.” Eph.3:20-21. 2 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. Wisdom 3: 1-3 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 ofSupremacy.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.WithFr.Conn O Rourke, he was publicly hanged at Kilmallock Co. Limerick on 13th August 1579, the corpses being ill- treated to intimidatethepeople. In executing them, the government broke its own laws requiring two previous convictions for maintaining papal authority and a trial by jury. 3 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. Matt. 10 37-39 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, aboutthePopeandtheQueen,MatthewLambertgavethesimple 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. 4 “Remembertheword that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20 Bishop Dermot O’Hurley He was born in 1530 in Emly Co. Tipperary into a well-off family. He studied at Louvain, and then taught as professor of philosophy and law in Rheims and Rome. Although a layman, in 1581 Pope Gregory XIII made him Archbishop of Cashel, a position vacant for three years. He travelled to Ireland in 1583 and landed in Holmpatrick, Skerries, but his documents sent separately had been intercepted. He sheltered with the Baron of Slane, where he was recognised. After Bishop O’ Hurley left for Carrick-On-Suir, Slane was summonsed by Lord Chief Justices Wallop and Loftus who threatened him. As a result Slane wrote to Bishop O’ Hurley urging him to return to extricate him from charges of treason which he did. On arrival in early October 1583, he was imprisoned in Dublin Castle. His feet were placed in boots filled with oil and roasted over a fire but he never recanted. In order to secure the death penalty he underwent trial by martial law. On the 20th of June 1584, he was taken early to Hoggen Green (near St. Stephen’s Green) to be hanged in secret. However a group of archers up early to practise for a competition, came upon the execution... His final words were: “I am a priest anointed and also a bishop, although unworthy of so sacred dignities and no cause could they find against me that might in the least degree deserve the pains of death, but merely my function of priesthood, wherein they have proceeded against me in all points cruelly contrary to their own laws.” His remains were buried in St. Kevin’s Park Camden Row which became a site of pilgrimage. 5 Margaret Bermingham Ball Born c. 1515, she married Bartholomew Ball of Balrothery at the age of 15, a leading merchant, who became Bailiff and Mayor of Dublin in 1553. She herself was well known for having established a school and for giving frequent refuge to priests. A widow in 1568, she was arrested in 1570 with a priest who had been saying Mass in her house. Through money and the influence of her son Nicholas (who later became Lord Mayor and an M.P.) she was freed. Conflict resulted when Walter her eldest converted to Protestantism and despite her attempts to influence him by inviting him to dinner with Catholic intellectuals, remained an avid promoter of his own beliefs. During his own time as Lord Mayor, he had Margaret arrested, dragged through the streets on a hurdle and thrown into prison where she remained for three years in harsh conditions until her death around 1584 aged about 70 years. We are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen, but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 6 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.