The Martyrs of Gorkum (Dutch: Martelaren van Gorcum) were a group of 19 Catholic clerics, secular and religious, in the Netherlands. They were hanged on 9 July 1572 in the town of Brielle by militant Calvinists during the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule.
Given the chance to save their lives by renouncing Catholic teachings, the 19 men refused. The martyrs were beatified in 1675 and canonized in 1867. Today the martyrs are widely revered by Catholics in the Netherlands.
During the middle of the 16th century, the present-day Netherlands were part of the Spanish Netherlands, a group of small kingdoms and towns ruled by the Catholic king of Spain, Philip II. Since the Protestant Reformation of 1521, the nobility in the region had converted from Catholicism to Calvinism. Over the succeeding decades, the Calvinist Dutch nobility had become increasing restive under Philip's rule, due to his heavy taxation and his persecution of Protestants.
During the late 1600's, the Catholic rulers of Gorkum (also called Gorinchem) would not allow a Calvinist church in the city. As a result, the Calvinist followers were forced to listen to sermons outside the city walls. Soon Calvinist activists started attacking Catholic churches. In 1566, the city allow the Calvinists to use a wooden shed, called the Geuzen House, outside the walls for their services.
By 1568, the Dutch Revolt had begun. Philip responded to the rebellion by sending his top commander, the Duke of Alba, to the region. Alba conducted brutal massacres of civilians in Dutch towns, hanged Protestant nobles, and battled with Calvinist forces. Many of the Calvinists took out their anger on Catholic clergy, whom they viewed as Spanish allies.
In 1569, the Protestant noble William of Orange authorized a privateer fleet of 25 vessals known as the Watergeuzen (Sea Beggars), commanded by the Belgian William de la Marck, Lord of Lumey. The Watergeuzen were allowed to capture Spanish ships and raid Spanish-occupied towns in the Netherlands. Most of the crews were Protestant Dutch who had been forced into exile by the Spanish. Elizabeth I, a rival of Spain, allow the Watergeuzen to base themselves in England.However, in March 1572, she expelled them from England to placate Philip. When de la Marck in April 1572 found the port of Brielle in the Netherlands to be undefended, his fleet occupied it and made it their new base.
The Watergeuzen in June 1572 arrived at Gorkum. The defenders of the city opened the city gates after de la Marck promised not to pillage the city. However, the mayor refused to surrender the castle in Gorkum. The Catholic clergy took refuge there as well. The Watergeuzen burned the castle, forcing its occupants to surrender.The raiders then looted all the Catholic churches in Gorkum.
The Watergeuzen arrested the nine priests and two lay brothers from the Franciscan friary in Gorkum. They included:
Nicholas Pieck, the guardian of the friary. A native of Gorkum, he had delivered many speeches in the town criticizing Calvinism.
Andrus van Weert, the vicar of the friary, was a former missionary to Palestine who also preached against Calvinism.
Dirk van der Eem served as chaplain to a community of Franciscan Tertiary Sisters in Gorkum.
Nicasius of Heeze, another priest, was also the Baron de Heeze in North Brabant.
Willehad was a 90-year-old priest who had fled Denmark due to religious persecution by the Calvinists.
Govaert van Mervel, a Belgian, was the sacristan and confessor at the priority; his hobby was painting.
Leonardus Vechel, the parish priest in Gorkum He had previously studied at the Catholic University of Louvain.
Godefried van Duynsen, a priest of Gorkum.
Joannes Lenartz of Oisterwijk, a Canon Regular from a nearby friary and spiritual director for the monastery of Augustinian nuns in Gorkum.
Adriaan van Hilvarenbeek, a Premonstratensian canon and a previous parish priest in Monster