MEMORIAL OF SAINTS NICHOLAS TAVELIC, PRIEST, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS AND SAINT LAWRENCE O’TOOLE, ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 14TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saints Nicholas Tavelic, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs and Saint Lawrence O’Toole, Archbishop of Dublin. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases.
SAINTS NICHOLAS TAVELIC, PRIEST, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS: Saints Nicholas Tavelic, Stephen of Cuneo, Deodato Aribert from Ruticinio and Peter of Narbonne. St. Nicholas and his three companions are among the 158 Franciscans who have been martyred in the Holy Land since the friars became custodians of the shrines in 1335. St. Nicholas was born in 1340 to a wealthy and noble family in Croatia. He joined the Franciscans near Assisi in Italy and was active as a preacher in Bosnia for twenty years and was sent with Deodat of Rodez to preach in Bosnia. In 1384, they volunteered for the Holy Land missions and were sent there. They looked after the holy places, cared for the Christian pilgrims, and studied Arabic.
St. Nicholas was then sent to Palestine with three confreres, Adeodatus Aribert, Peter of Narbone, and Stephen of Cuneo. In 1391, Nicholas, Deodato, Peter of Narbonne, and Stephen of Cuneo decided to take a direct approach to converting the Muslims. On November 11, they went to the huge Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem and asked to see the Qadix—Muslim official. The Saints drew up a Christian apologetic treatise and, after fortifying themselves with prayer, read their treatise before the Qadi of Jerusalem. Reading from a prepared statement, they said that all people must accept the gospel of Jesus. When they were ordered to retract their statement, they refused. They replied: “Under no circumstances will we recant. We are ready to die and to endure every torture because everything we said is holy, Catholic, and true.” They were arrested and imprisoned for having preached the Christian Faith publicly to Muslims. After beatings and imprisonment, they were beheaded before a large crowd. These holy confessors of the Faith dismembered bodies were burned on November 14, 1391. St. Nicholas and his companions were canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. The Liturgical Feast of Saint Nicholas Tavelic and Companions is November 14.
REFLECTION: St. Francis presented two missionary approaches for his friars. St. Nicholas and his companions followed the first approach—live quietly and give witness to Christ—for several years. Then they felt called to take the second approach of preaching openly. Their Franciscan confréres in the Holy Land are still working by example to make Jesus better known.
PRAYER: Almighty God, You glorified Sts. Nicholas and his Companions by their zeal in spreading the Faith and their crown of martyrdom. Through their prayers and example help us to run the way of Your commandments and teo receive the crown of eternal life. Amen 🙏
SAINT LAWRENCE O’TOOLE, ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN: St. Lawrence O’Toole (1125-1180) was born around 1125 in County Kildare, Ireland. His father was the chief of Hy Murray, and his mother one of the Clan O’Byrne. At the age of 10, Lawrence was given up as a hostage to King Mac Murehad of Leinster, who treated him with such inhumanity that his father obliged the King to turn him over to the Bishop of Glendalough. St. Lawrence grew to be such a model of virtue, that at the young age of 25 he was chosen to replace the Bishop as abbot upon the Bishop’s death. He governed his community with virtue and prudence, notable for his talents as a peace-maker which made him acceptable to all elements in society. His election as archbishop had been supported not only by the Irish clergy but by the Danish and Norse groups and by Rory O’Connor, High King of Ireland and was unanimously chosen to fill the new See of Dublin in 1161. In 1171, St. Lawrence visited King Henry II of England to handle affairs of his diocese. While approaching the altar to officiate at Mass, the Archbishop was violently attacked by a maniac. Everyone present thought he was mortally wounded, but Saint Lawrence came to, asked for some water, blessed it and applied it to his wound. The bleeding immediately stopped and the Archbishop continued to celebrate Mass. In 1175 Henry II of England became offended with Roderic, the monarch of Ireland, and St.Lawrence undertook another journey to England to negotiate a reconciliation between them. Henry was so moved by his piety, charity, and prudence that he granted him everything he asked, and left the whole negotiation to his discretion.
St. Lawrence was most widely known for his piety, charity, and prudence, and was respected as a negotiator. In 1180, he left Ireland for the last time, taking with him a son of Ua Conchobair’s as a hostage to Henry. He meant to admonish Henry for incursions against Ua Conchobair, contrary to the Treaty of Windsor. After a stay at the Monastery of Abingdon south of Oxford – necessitated by a closure of the ports – he landed at Le Tréport, Normandy, at a cove named after him, Saint-Laurent. He fell ill and was conveyed to the Abbey of St. Victor at Eu. Mortally ill, it was suggested that he should make his will, to which he replied: “God knows, I have not a penny under the sun to leave anyone.” His last thoughts were of his people in Dublin: “Alas, you poor, foolish people, what will you do now? Who will take care of you in your trouble? Who will help you?” He died at Eu, Normandy on 14 November 1180, and was buried there. His relics are kept in the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Laurent d’Eu, while his heart is venerated in a reliquary at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. He was canonized in 1225 by Honorius III. He’s Paton Saint of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.
St. Lawrence O’Toole, Archbishop of Dublin ~ Pray for us 🙏