Saint Nicholas (Pick) Pieck
Image: Tinh Than
(New Advent) Born in Holland Gorkum in 1534 Nicholas Pieck (sometimes written Pick) attended college at Bois-le-Dus according to SQPN and as soon as he had completed his classical studies, he received the habit of the ‘Friars Minor’ at the local Convent and was sent to Louvain to study for the Priesthood and was Ordained in 1558 subsequently he devoted himself to the Apostolic Ministry.
Fr. Pieck evangelized the principle communities in Holland and Belgium, combating heresy everywhere. In 1568 the ‘Benelux Countries’ (also called ‘Low Countries’) revolted against Spain, in the Northern Part (now the Netherlands) the revolt was also directed against Catholicism.
Fr. Pieck and his Companions (11 Franciscans and 8 Diocesan Priests) were arrested by Calvinist Soldiers taken to Brielle, they were encouraged strongly to renounce their faith on Jesus Christ presence in the Eucharist and the authority of the Pope, when they refused, they were hung from crossbeams.
Their executions were clumsily handled, taking 2 hours for some of them to strangle to death.
Fr. Pieck and his Companions were Beatified by Pope Clement X in 1675 and Canonized by Pope Pius in 1867
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