Henry Fitzsimon facts for kids
Henry Fitzsimon (born in Dublin around 1566 or 1569) was an important Irish Jesuit. He was known for debating and writing about religious topics. He passed away in 1643 or 1645, likely in Kilkenny.
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Henry Fitzsimon's Early Life
Henry Fitzsimon grew up as a Protestant. He studied at Oxford University from 1583 to 1587. He went to the University of Paris next. There, he strongly supported Protestantism. He even said he was ready to die for his beliefs.
Becoming a Catholic Jesuit
However, Henry Fitzsimon got into a debate with an older English Jesuit, Father Thomas Darbishire. During this debate, Henry changed his mind. He became a Catholic. After this, he visited Rome and Flanders. In 1592, he decided to join the Jesuit order. He chose the Jesuits because they strongly challenged the ideas of those they called "heretics."
Returning to Ireland
By 1595, there was a need for Jesuits in Ireland. They had been absent for ten years. Henry Fitzsimon and Father Archer helped restart the Jesuit mission there. He mainly worked in Dublin and Drogheda. He helped many Protestants become Catholics. He also bravely challenged the main Anglican religious leaders.
Imprisonment and Banishment
In 1600, Henry Fitzsimon was captured. He found humor in it, saying, "Now my opponents cannot say that they do not know where to find me!" He would even shout challenges from his prison window to any religious leader passing by. His main opponents in these debates were James Ussher, Meredith Hanmer, and John Rider.
In 1604, he was forced to leave Ireland. He traveled to Spain, Rome, and Flanders. He stayed away from Ireland from 1611 to 1620.
Chaplain During War
When the Thirty Years' War began in 1620, Henry Fitzsimon served as a chaplain. He cared for the Irish soldiers fighting in the imperial army. He even wrote a diary about his experiences during this time. It is believed he returned to Flanders in 1621. Then, in 1630, he went back to Ireland. He continued his work there until the Irish Civil War started around 1640.
Final Years
In the winter of 1641, Henry Fitzsimon was facing a death sentence. He managed to escape to the Wicklow Mountains. He died later, probably in Kilkenny, in 1643 or 1645.
Henry Fitzsimon's Writings
Henry Fitzsimon wrote several important works. Most of his writings were about religious debates.
- A book called "A Catholic Confutation" (published in Rouen, 1608).
- "Britannomachia Ministrorum" (1614).
- "Pugna Pragensis" (1620).
- "Buquoii Quadrimestreiter" (Brünn, 1621), which was also translated into Italian and English.
- "Catalogus Præcipuorum Sanctorum Hiberniæ" (1611), which highlighted important Irish saints.
Some of his other writings were published later. These included "Words of Comfort to Persecuted Catholics" and "Letters from a Cell in Dublin Castle." His "Diary of the Bohemian War of 1620" was also published. These were put together with a short story of his life by Father Edmund Hogan in 1881.
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