Relatives of Fr Timothy Leonard are appealing to the church to examine the martyr's life and sacrifice with a view to canonisation.MOVES have begun to make a martyred Limerick priest, who was beheaded in China, a saint, almost 60 years to the day that his life was taken on July 17, 1929.
The family of Father Timothy Leonard, who hailed from Ballysimon on the outskirts of the city, believe that he should be beatified following his efforts to bring the Catholic faith to China, efforts that ultimately cost him his life.
Father Leonard was one of the first band of Columban priests to go to China in 1920, when he and some colleagues sailed from San Francisco through the Golden Gate Bridge.
One of three brothers who entered the priesthood, Fr Timothy was ordained out of Limerick Diocese but always had a longing to travel to China and work with its people.
"He is the icon in our family. We feel he should be honoured and we believe the church should beatify him," said his cousin John Leonard, who lives in Corbally, Limerick
Son of farmers William and Mary Leonard, Fr Timothy had two other brothers who were priests. Fr William Leonard held a doctorate in sacred sculpture while Fr Joe was parish priest in Athlacca.
"I now think that it is time to open a diocesan inquiry into the life and holiness of Fr Leonard, his extraordinary love of the Eucharist, his adherence to the doctrine of the church, his work ethic for his flock, his humility, his lack of fear of death in the course of his ministry among the pagan people of China and his extreme suffering and his John the Baptist-like death at the end," said John Leonard.
John has been totally fascinated by the life of his cousin and has travelled the world to find out more about him.
He met up with Fr Dermody, the priest who buried his Fr Leonard after the Ballysimon priest had been partially beheaded after being accused of practicing religion.
"It is time," says his cousin " for the Limerick diocese in conjunction with the local bishop in the Jiangxi province and the Columban congregation to seriously open the cause of Fr Leonard. He proved to be an exemplary martyr having lived the Christian virtues in an heroic way."
In 1928 the Columbans took over the mission of Nanfeng from the Vincentians and the area of Nanfeng is where Fr Leonard worked as parish priest.
At the time in the Jiangxi province communist guerrillas were fighting against the Nationalist Government and succeeded in establishing an independent Soviet style government under Communist party control.
One morning in July 1929, a group of guerrillas entered the church as Fr Leonard was saying mass and sensing danger he took the hosts from the tabernacle to consume them, but the bandits took them and scattered them on the floor of the church and deliberately trampled on them.
They led him away with a rope around his neck and then put him on trial and charged him with being a foreign spy and promoting religon. Immediatley after the trial he was killed.
Today his grave is in a peaceful organic grove near Nanfeng, which as been visited by his cousin John, who erected a cross of green marble.
The church, where Fr Leonard said his last mass was eventually closed down, turned into a kindergarten, until recently when it was handed back to the Catholic Church.
"Relations between the Catholic Church and the Chinese have improved greatly and the Jiangxi chapel has been returned to the Catholic Church.
Fr Timothy was the first of many Columban fathers to lose their lives in China. His colleague Fr E.J. McCarthy says that, in China, Fr Leonard became noted for his earnestness and self sacrifice.
"No journey was too long for him, no discomfort or danger could daunt him where there was missionary work to be done. He was a logical follower of Christ and could suffer not compromise either in his own soul or in others," said Fr McCarthy.
The Superior General of the Columbans, Fr Michael O'Dwyer saw Fr Leonard just months before he was arrested and killed.
"He was the happiest man in China. He was as lighthearted as a schoolboy," he recalled.
His colleague Father Dermody, said that Fr Leonard made desperate attempts to save the Blessed Sacrament from the bandits.
"The bandits were furious that one lone, unarmed man and he a foreign devil should have the courage to stand up to them. Their pride was wounded, they had lost face and I am convinced that Fr Leonard's seal for the Blessed Sacrament was the primary cause of his death; may we call it martyrdom?" he asked.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++The family of Father Timothy Leonard, who hailed from Ballysimon on the outskirts of the city, believe that he should be beatified following his efforts to bring the Catholic faith to China, efforts that ultimately cost him his life.
Father Leonard was one of the first band of Columban priests to go to China in 1920, when he and some colleagues sailed from San Francisco through the Golden Gate Bridge.
One of three brothers who entered the priesthood, Fr Timothy was ordained out of Limerick Diocese but always had a longing to travel to China and work with its people.
"He is the icon in our family. We feel he should be honoured and we believe the church should beatify him," said his cousin John Leonard, who lives in Corbally, Limerick
Son of farmers William and Mary Leonard, Fr Timothy had two other brothers who were priests. Fr William Leonard held a doctorate in sacred sculpture while Fr Joe was parish priest in Athlacca.
"I now think that it is time to open a diocesan inquiry into the life and holiness of Fr Leonard, his extraordinary love of the Eucharist, his adherence to the doctrine of the church, his work ethic for his flock, his humility, his lack of fear of death in the course of his ministry among the pagan people of China and his extreme suffering and his John the Baptist-like death at the end," said John Leonard.
John has been totally fascinated by the life of his cousin and has travelled the world to find out more about him.
He met up with Fr Dermody, the priest who buried his Fr Leonard after the Ballysimon priest had been partially beheaded after being accused of practicing religion.
"It is time," says his cousin " for the Limerick diocese in conjunction with the local bishop in the Jiangxi province and the Columban congregation to seriously open the cause of Fr Leonard. He proved to be an exemplary martyr having lived the Christian virtues in an heroic way."
In 1928 the Columbans took over the mission of Nanfeng from the Vincentians and the area of Nanfeng is where Fr Leonard worked as parish priest.
At the time in the Jiangxi province communist guerrillas were fighting against the Nationalist Government and succeeded in establishing an independent Soviet style government under Communist party control.
One morning in July 1929, a group of guerrillas entered the church as Fr Leonard was saying mass and sensing danger he took the hosts from the tabernacle to consume them, but the bandits took them and scattered them on the floor of the church and deliberately trampled on them.
They led him away with a rope around his neck and then put him on trial and charged him with being a foreign spy and promoting religon. Immediatley after the trial he was killed.
Today his grave is in a peaceful organic grove near Nanfeng, which as been visited by his cousin John, who erected a cross of green marble.
The church, where Fr Leonard said his last mass was eventually closed down, turned into a kindergarten, until recently when it was handed back to the Catholic Church.
"Relations between the Catholic Church and the Chinese have improved greatly and the Jiangxi chapel has been returned to the Catholic Church.
Fr Timothy was the first of many Columban fathers to lose their lives in China. His colleague Fr E.J. McCarthy says that, in China, Fr Leonard became noted for his earnestness and self sacrifice.
"No journey was too long for him, no discomfort or danger could daunt him where there was missionary work to be done. He was a logical follower of Christ and could suffer not compromise either in his own soul or in others," said Fr McCarthy.
The Superior General of the Columbans, Fr Michael O'Dwyer saw Fr Leonard just months before he was arrested and killed.
"He was the happiest man in China. He was as lighthearted as a schoolboy," he recalled.
His colleague Father Dermody, said that Fr Leonard made desperate attempts to save the Blessed Sacrament from the bandits.
"The bandits were furious that one lone, unarmed man and he a foreign devil should have the courage to stand up to them. Their pride was wounded, they had lost face and I am convinced that Fr Leonard's seal for the Blessed Sacrament was the primary cause of his death; may we call it martyrdom?" he asked.
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