Wexford martyrs are beatified by Pope

October 1992

Over 150 Wexford people were in St Peter’s Square in Rome on Sunday when Pope John Paul II beatified 17 Irish martyrs, including six from Wexford.

The pilgrimage to Rome was led by Bishop Brendan Comiskey, and included political leaders from around the county.

At the beatifications ceremony of Patrick Cavanagh, Edward Cheevers, Matthew Lambert, Robert Meyler, their two unnamed companions, and 11 other Irish people too, Pope John Paul II said they were all admired for their personal courage.

The Wexford Martyrs were found guilty in 1581 of treason for aiding in the escape of James Eustace, 3rd Viscount Baltinglass; for refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy which declared Elizabeth I of England to be the head of the Church; and for conveying Catholic priests, laymen, and a Jesuit out of Ireland. On July 5, 1581, they were hanged, drawn and quartered in Wexford.

The Pope said: ‘We thank them for the example of their fidelity in difficult circumstances,’ and added that in a decisive hour, they had chosen to stand firmly by their covenant with God.

The Pope added that the heritage of the martyrs was a responsibility which must be lived up to in every age.

Speaking about the martyrs’ significance today, the Pope said that it lay in the fact that their testimony shattered the vain claim to live one’s life, or build a model of society, without an integral vision of our human destiny and without reference to our eternal calling.

During the two and a quarter hour ceremony,