BL. PATRICK O'HELY, BISHOP AND MARTYR - 13 AUGUST

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST

Saints celebrated on the 13th of August

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

BLESSED PATRICK O'HELY, BISHOP 

Blessed Patrick O'Hely [O'Healy] was Bishop of Mayo, Ireland; he died at Kilmallock in September 1579. He was a native of Connaught, and joined the Franciscans at an early age. 

HE WAS SUMMONED TO ROME

Four years after his profession he was sent to the University of Alcala. Summoned to Rome, Pope Gregory XIII promoted him in 1576 to the See of Mayo, now merged in that of Tuam. In autumn, 1579, he sailed from Brittany and arrived off the coast of Kerry. The bishop and his companion, Conn O’Rourke, a Franciscan priest, son of Brian, Lord of Breifne, came ashore near Askeaton, and sought hospitality at the castle where, in the earl’s absence, his countess entertained them. 

THEY WERE SEIZED

Next day they departed for Limerick; but the countess, probably so instructed, for the earl claimed the merit afterwards, gave information to the Mayor of Limerick, who three days later seized the two ecclesiastics and sent them to Kilmallock where Lord Justice Drury then was with an army. 

As president of Munster, Drury had recently perpetrated infamous barbarities. In one year he executed four hundred persons "by justice and martial law". Some he sentenced "by natural law, for that he found no law to try them by in the realm". 

HE REPLIED THAT HE COULD NOT BARTER HIS FAITH FOR LIFE AND HONOURS

At first he offered to secure O’Hely his See if he would acknowledge the royal supremacy and disclose his business. The bishop replied that he could not barter his faith for life or honours; his business was to do a bishop's part in advancing religion and saving souls. 

To questions about the plans of the pope and the King of Spain for invading Ireland he made no answer, and thereupon was delivered to torture. As he still remained silent, he and O’Rourke were sent to instant execution by martial law. The execution took place outside one of the gates of Kilmallock. 

(From Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913)