Francis Taylor (martyr)

For other people named Francis Taylor, see Francis Taylor (disambiguation).

The Blessed Francis Taylor (Irish: Proinnsias Táiliúr)
A statue of the Blessed Francis Taylor and of his grandmother-in-law, the Blessed Margaret Ball, which stands in front of St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland
Martyr
Born	c. 1550 Swords, County Dublin, Kingdom of Ireland
Died	29 January 1621 Dublin Castle, Dublin, Kingdom of Ireland
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church (Ireland)
Beatified	27 September 1992, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Major shrine	St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland
Feast	29 January
Patronage	Politicians

Francis Taylor (Irish: Proinnsias Táiliúr; Beannaithe, Swords, c. 1550 – Dublin, 29 January 1621) was a Mayor of Dublin, Ireland, who was incarcerated because of his Catholicism. He has been declared a martyr for his faith and beatified by the Catholic Church.

Life

Born in Swords, County Dublin, Taylor moved to the City of Dublin and married the daughter of a prominent family, being the granddaughter of a Lord Mayor of Dublin. He himself was elected Dublin's mayor in 1595. Taylor was imprisoned for his Catholic faith in 1613, and died there on 29 January 1621, after seven years of refusing to accept his freedom by giving up his religion.

Veneration

Pope John Paul II beatified Taylor on 27 September 1992, as part of a group of 17 victims of the repression of the Catholic Church by the Irish government during that era.

A statue of Taylor and of his wife's grandmother, the Blessed Margaret Ball, who had died in that same prison for her faith in 1584, stands outside St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin.

See also

• Statues in Dublin
• Margaret Ball

References

Corish and Millett, The Irish Martyrs, December 2004, ISBN 1-85182-858-3 ([1])