Gorcum, Martyrs of (GORCUM, MARTIRI DI) - Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. VI, p. 565

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

GORCUM, MARTIRI of - A group of 19 religious and secular priests who fell into the hands of the Calvinists (Sea Beggars) at the capture of the city of G. (Holland), on 26 June 1572.

They were: 11 Franciscans, 9 of them priests: Nicola Pieck, guardian, Girolamo di Weerden, Teodorico di Emden, Nicasio Johnson, Willehald the Dane, Goffredo di Merville, Antonio di Weerden, Antonio di Hoomaer, Francesco Rhodes; and 2 lay brothers: Pietro di Asche and Cornelio di Wich; 2 Premonstratensians: Adriano di Hilvarenbeek and Giovanni Lacopa; 1 Dominican: Giovanni di Colonia; 1 Augustinian: Giovanni di Oesterwych; 4 secular priests: Leonardo Wechel, parish priest of G., and his vicar Nicola Poppel, Goffredo di Duynen, Andrea Wouters. Imprisoned and tortured, they defended the real presence in the Eucharist and the primacy of the pope. Taken to Iriel, they were hanged there on 9 July 1572. Beatified by Clemente X in 1675, they were canonized by Pio IX on 29 June 1867. Feast day: 9 July.

BIBL.: G. Estius, Historiae Martyrum Gorcomiensium, Douai 1603, reproduced in Acta SS. Iulii, II, Paris 1867, pp. 736-835; Wadding, Annales, a. 1572, nn. 5-47 (XX, 1933), pp. 362-97; J. de Broeyer, Compensio... de' besti m. di G., Rome 1675; A. da Osimo, Storia dei dizionose martiri gorcomiensi, ibid. 1867; A. da Sanfelice, Il centenario di i Pietro e i martiri gorcomiensi, ibid. 1867; Leenc (de Clary), L'aureola serafica, III, Quaracchi 1899, pp. 35-44; J. Meerbergen, De III. Martelaren van G., Tongerloo 1928; G. Hesse, De oudere historiographie der III. Martelaren van G., in Collectanea Franciscana neerlandica, 2 (1931), pp. 447-98. Livario Oliger