Blessed Margaret Ball portrayed in the “Martyrs of Dublin” statue outside St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland.
Upon his election as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1580, Margaret's son promptly arrested his 65-year-old mother and imprisoned her! Due to Margaret’s age and inability to walk due to severe arthritis, he spared her a public walk of shame, instead parading her through the streets lying on a wooden plank all the way to Dublin Castle.
By Kimberly Bruce
Of the hundreds of Catholic martyrs in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland during the Protestant Reformation, only a handful were women. One of these is Blessed Margaret Ball (1515-1584), one of Ireland’s patronesses, whose feast day is June 20.
Her story is especially tragic. Blessed Margaret was imprisoned by her own son for her refusal to deny the Catholic faith and sign the Oath of Supremacy acknowledging Queen Elizabeth I as head of the Anglican Church.
Marriage and motherhood
Born Margaret Bermingham in 1515 in Ireland’s eastern province of Leinster in County Meath, she was part of a devout Catholic family that originally hailed from England but immigrated to Ireland when Margaret’s father purchased a farm there.
At 16, Margaret married wealthy merchant and Dublin city councilman, Bartholomew Ball. They had 10 children, but only five lived to adulthood. Margaret not only saw to the education of her own children but held classes in her home for other city children as well.
In 1553, Bartholomew became Lord Mayor of Dublin. Troubles began for the family five years later when King Henry VIII’s daughter, Elizabeth, ascended the throne, succeeding her sister, Queen Mary, who restored the Catholic faith. Elizabeth turned the clock back and, like her father, outlawed Catholicism and declared herself the head of the official Anglican Church. Catholic priests and religious were once again persecuted and thrown into prison.
Hiding priests
The Balls opened their home to many Catholic clergy, concealing them in special hiding places. When Bartholomew died in 1568, Margaret bravely continued the practice. Although her social standing in society afforded her some protection, her home was periodically raided and searched. During one of these raids, a priest was discovered celebrating Mass and arrested, along with Margaret. She was later released.
Margaret’s oldest son, Walter, defied his parents and aligned himself with the Protestant cause, abandoning his Catholic faith. Hoping to bring him back, Margaret invited Walter to dinners at home with Catholic priests present, thinking conversation would be persuasive.
Tragically, it was not. Upon Walter’s election as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1580, following in his father’s footsteps, he promptly arrested his 65-year-old mother and imprisoned her! Due to Margaret’s age and inability to walk due to severe arthritis, he spared her a public walk of shame, instead parading her through the streets lying on a wooden plank all the way to Dublin Castle.
Imprisonment and death
While in prison, Margaret suffered greatly due to the cold, wet conditions devoid of natural light. Her other children tried to convince Walter to release their mother, but he would not be persuaded. Margaret’s younger son, Nicholas, brought her food and clothing.
In fact, when Nicholas succeeded Walter as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1582, he was unable to release Margaret, as Walter was now the powerful Commissioner of Ecclesiastical Causes.
Margaret died in prison on Jul. 1, 1584, age 69. She never removed Walter from her will, despite his cruelty. As such, Walter, as the oldest son, inherited her entire estate!
Margaret likely kept Walter as her heir in a final demonstration of love for him and a last effort to re-convert him. Her prayers for herself and for her son surely mirrored a prayer of St. Faustina’s:
Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 163).
Agony of betrayal
Margaret was declared Venerable on Jul. 6, 1991, by Pope St. John Paul II and beatified by him as one of 17 Irish martyrs on Sept. 27, 1992. She was, the Holy Father said, “a woman of extraordinary integrity who, together with the physical trials she had to endure, underwent the agony of being betrayed through the complicity of her own son.”
Pope John Paul went on to say of all 17 martyrs, “The Martyrs’ significance for today lies in the fact that their testimony shatters the vain claim to live one’s life or to build a model of society without an integral vision of our human destiny, without reference to our eternal calling, without transcendence.”
They, exhort us, continued the Holy Father, to: “Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called … keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Blessed Margaret Ball, pray for us!
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