Ogilvie (Ogilby), John, Blessed (OGILVIE (OGILBY), JOHN, BEATO)

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

OGILVIE (OGILBY), JOHN, blessed. - Jesuit, martyr, born at Drum-na-Keith (Scotland) in 1580, died at Glasgow on 10 March 1615.

Educated as a Calvinist, he spent a long period of 21 years abroad, during which he abjured at Louvain at the hands of Fr. Cornelio a Lapide (1596), entered the Society of Jesus (1599), completed his studies, was ordained priest (1610), and returned to his homeland (1615) to defend and rekindle the Catholic faith. But although he carried out his activity secretly and in various disguises, he was betrayed by a false brother and soon fell into the hands of the government. His imprisonment was one long cruel torture intended to break his strength; but in vain. He was condemned as a traitor and hanged. He was beatified by Pio XI on 22 Dec. 1929.

In prison he wrote an autobiography, later completed by eyewitnesses to his death, published under the title Relatio incarcerationis (Douai 1615). Feast day: 10 March.

BIBL.: J. Forbes, J. O. écossais jésuite, Paris 1901; W. E. Brown, J. O., an Account of his life and death with a translation of the document relating thereto, London 1925; C. Testore, I martiri inglesi d'Inghilterra e di Scozia, Isola del Liri 1934, pp. 341-72. Celestino Testore