The English martyrs

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The word of God was made flesh
w w w . s d c . m e . u k
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The English Martyrs
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The English Martyrs

• 1534 onwards
• A large number of Catholics - priests, religious,
  lay people who where executed under the reign of
  King Henry VIII or Queen Elizabeth I
• for openly proclaiming and defending their
  Roman Catholic faith in different ways.

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The English Martyrs
HENRY VIII Married his brother's widow, Catherine
of Aragon (Spain) Quarrelled with Church and
remarried. Had daughter Elizabeth Had a son
Edward from third marriage to Anne
Seymour

• After Henry's death, Edward ruled from 1547 to
  1553 (aged 10 to 16), and was Protestant.
• After his death, Mary (born 1516) ruled from 1553
  to 1558, and was Roman Catholic.

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The English Martyrs

• QUEEN ELIZABETH I
• Ruled from 1558 to 1601, at first tried to be a
  moderate Protestant, to avoid conflict .
• In 1570 Pope issued some new rules for Catholics
  only to take part in Latin mass and receive
  sacraments from catholic priests and not
  recognizing Queen Elizabeth.
• English government reacted by declaring that the
  saying of Mass in Latin was treason.
• Persecution started.

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The English Martyrs

• EARLIER CLASSIFICATION
• Blessed (Beati)
• - 63, priests, religious or lay people.
• Venerables
• Many other people who died heroically.
• Their lives were so retired and obscure that
  there is generally but little known about them.
• The forty-four dilati
• Those "put off" for further proof. Many who
  perished after a comparatively short period of
  imprisonment, though definite proof of their
  death is not available.
• The prætermissi (242)
• - Martyrs on the scaffold.
• - Martyrs in chains.
• The eleven bishops left to die in prison.

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CANONISED SAINTS
The English Martyrs
In 1970 Pope Paul VI Canonised 40 of the English
Martyrs (33 English 7 Welsh) some clergy, some
lay people who suffered martyrdom between 1535
and 1679.

• 19 men and women who belonged to religious
  orders.
• 14 secular priests.
• 4 laymen.
• 3 lay women.

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CANONISED SAINTS Members of Religious Orders
The English Martyrs
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CANONISED SAINTS Secular priests and lay people
The English Martyrs
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The English Martyrs
ST NICHOLAS OWEN

• Born around 1550.
• Devoutly Catholic family.
• Grew up in the midst ofthe Penal Laws.
• Became a carpenter.
• For many years he built hiding-places for priests
  in the homes of Catholic families.
• Became a member of the Society of Jesus as a lay
  brother.
• First arrested in 1582 after the execution of
  Edmund Campion, for publicly proclaiming that
  martyr's innocence, but was later released.

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The English Martyrs

• ST NICHOLAS OWEN
• Arrested again in 1594 and tortured.
• Arrested again in 1606 in Worcestershire.
• Submitted to terrible "examinations" on the
  Topcliffe rack.
• Died under torture without betraying any secret
  in 1606.
• Feastday 22nd March.

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The English Martyrs
ST ROBERT SOUTHWALL

• Born c. 1561 brought up a Catholic.
• Moved to Paris.
• In 1580 he joined the Society of Jesus after a
  two-year novitiate passed mostly at Tournai,
  France.

• Prefect of studies in the Venerable English
  College at Rome
• Ordained priest in 1584.
• Sent to England in 1586 as a Jesuit missionary
• Also became a religious poet/writer.

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The English Martyrs
ST ROBERT SOUTHWALL

• Arrested after six years working with catholic
  families.
• Repeatedly put to the torture in the vain hope of
  extracting evidence about other priests.
• Imprisoned for three years in the Tower of London
  tortured ten times.
• Moved to hole in Newgate prison.

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The English Martyrs
ST ROBERT SOUTHWALL

• Accused of treason - sentenced to death.
• Hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 20th
  February 20, 1595.

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ST MARGARET CLITHEROW
The English Martyrs

• "The Pearl of York" Born as Margaret Middleton
  (York, c. 1556).
• 1571 married to John Clitherow a butcher who
  later became chamberlain of York.

• Became a Roman Catholic at age 18.
• During this time of Elizabeths reign laws were
  being passed, forbidding the Catholic mass and
  other faith practices.

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ST MARGARET CLITHEROW
The English Martyrs

• Had three children, the third probably while she
  was in prison.
• She regularly held Masses in her home in the
  Shambles in York.

• conflict of loyalties religion and
  husband/family Behind all her gaiety, she lived
  with a sword in her heart

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ST MARGARET CLITHEROW
The English Martyrs

• In 1586, she was arrested and accused in court
  for the crime of harbouring Roman Catholic
  priests.
• Margaret Clitherow was martyred at the age of
  around 33 in 1586 - put to death by being crushed
  under a large door loaded with heavy weights.
• Feastday 26th March.

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The word of God was made flesh
w w w . s d c . m e . u k