Chinese Saints And Martyrs

Bl. John Alcober Feastday: December 30 1748 Dominican martyr of China. Born in Gerona, Spain, he entered the Dominicans, being sent in 1728 to China as a missionary. Arrested in 1746 by Chinese officials, he was held in prison until strangled to death. He died with Blessed Peter Sanz and other Dominicans.

Bl. John-Gabriel Perboyre Feastday: September 11 1840 Martyr of China: He was a Vincentian from Puech, France, who was ordained in 1826. In 1835 he volunteered for the missions of China and went to Honan, where he rescued abandoned children. When the persecution started, John was arrested and tortured for a year. On September 11, he was strangled to death. Pope Leo XIII beatified him in 1889, making him the first martyr in China to be so honored. Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1996 St. Gabriel du Fresse, Blessed Feastday: September 14 1815 Martyr of china. he was born in Ville de Lezoux, near Clermont, France, in 1750. After entering the seminary for foreign missions, he was sent to China in 1777. Ordained, he was soon betrayed by a Chinese Christian and beheaded. Gabriel was beatified in 1900. Bl. Matthew de Eskandely Feastday: October 8 1309 Martyr of China. He was one of the first missionaries to reach China during the Middle Ages. Born in Buda, Hungary, he entered the Church an

Bl. Thomas Abel Feastday: July 30 1540 English martyr. A graduate of Oxford University, Thomas served as chaplain to Queen Catharine of Aragon, proving intensely loyal to her cause during the ordeal of the divorce proceedings against her by King Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547). Arrested by English authorities for denying the spiritual supremacy of the king, he was incarcerated in the Tower of London for six years, finally receiving execution at Smithfield. He was beatified in 1886. Bl. Edward Powell Feastday: July 30 1504 English martyr, a councilor to Queen Catherine of Aragon, wife of King Henry VIII. A Welshman, Edward was a canon of Salisbury, England, and a fellow of Odd, noted for treatises opposing Martin Luther. He served Queen Catherine of Aragon and opposed the spiritual supremacy of Henry VIII. For this he spent six years in prison before being hanged, drawn, and quartered at Smithfield, London. He was beatified in 1886. Bl. Richard Featherstone Feastday: July 30 1540 E

St. John Boste Feastday: July 24 1594 One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born at Dufton, at Westmoreland, England, and studied at Oxford. Becoming a Catholic in 1576, he went to Reims and received ordination in 1581. John went back to England where he worked in the northern parts of the kingdom and became the object of a massive manhunt. He was betrayed, arrested, and taken to London. There he was crippled on the rack and returned to Dryburn near Durham. On July 24, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered. John was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as a martyr of Durham. Bl. William Ward Feastday: July 26 1641 Martyr of England. Born in Westmorland, England, he went to Douai, France, in 1604, where he studied and received ordination in 1608. Upon returning home to England, William was forced to land in Scotland and was arrested and imprisoned for three years. He was released and went on to England, where he spent twenty of his thirty-three years as a missionary in prison

St. John Plessington Feastday: July 19 1697 One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born at Dimples, Lancashire, England, the son of a Royalist Catholic. Educated at Valladolid, Spain, and St. Omer’s in France. he was ordained in Segovia in 1662. John returned to England after ordination and served as a missionary in Cheshire. He became a tutor at Puddington Hall near Chester until his arrest and martyrdom by hanging at Barrowshill,Boughton near Chester. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970. Sts. Philip Evans & John Lloyd Feastday: July 22 PHILIP EVANS was born at Monmouth in 1645, was educated at Saint-Omer, and joined the Society of Jesus at the age of twenty. In 1675 he was ordained at Liege and sent to South Wales. He was soon well known for his zeal, but no active notice was taken by the authorities until the scare of Oates plot, when in the November of 1678 John Arnold, of Llanvihangel Court near Abergavenny, a justice of the peace and hunter of priests, offered

St. John Plessington Feastday: July 19 1697 One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born at Dimples, Lancashire, England, the son of a Royalist Catholic. Educated at Valladolid, Spain, and St. Omer’s in France. he was ordained in Segovia in 1662. John returned to England after ordination and served as a missionary in Cheshire. He became a tutor at Puddington Hall near Chester until his arrest and martyrdom by hanging at Barrowshill, Boughton. near Chester. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970. Sts. Philip Evans & John Lloyd Feastday: July 22 MARTYRS (AD. 1679) PHILIP EVANS was born at Monmouth in 1645, was educated at Saint-Omer, and joined the Society of Jesus at the age of twenty. In 1675 he was ordained at Liege and sent to South Wales. He was soon well known for his zeal, but no active notice was taken by the authorities until the scare of Oates plot, when in the November of 1678 John Arnold, of Llanvihangel Court near Abergavenny, a justice of the peace and hunte

Bl. Thomas Tunstal Feastday: July 13 1616 English martyr. Born in Whinfell, near Kendal, Westmoreland, he studied for the priesthood at Douai, France, and was ordained there in 1609. The next year he returned to England but was arrested almost immediately upon his arrival. Escaping, Thomas was recaptured and taken to Norwich where he spent six years in confinement until finally being hanged, drawn, and quartered. While in prison, he joined the Benedictine Order. Bl. Richard Langhorne Feastday: July 14 1679 English martyr. Born in Bedfordshire, he was educated at the Inner Temple and worked as a lawyer. He was arrested in 1667, released in 1679, then arrested again as a conspirator in the so-called “Popish Plot.” He was hanged at Tybum on July 14. Richard was beatified in 1929. *********************************

St. Oliver Plunkett Feastday: July 11 1681 Oliver Plunkett was born in Loughcrew in County Meath, Ireland on November 1, 1625. In 1647, he went to study for the priesthood in the Irish College in Rome. On January 1, 1654, he was ordained a priest in the Propaganda College in Rome. Due to religious persecution in his native land, it was not possible for him to return to minister to his people. Oliver taught in Rome until 1669, when he was appointed Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland. Archbishop Plunkett soon established himself as a man of peace and, with religious fervor, set about visiting his people, establishing schools, ordaining priests, and confirming thousands. 1673 brought a renewal of religious persecution, and bishops were banned by edict. Archbishop Plunkett went into hiding, suffering a great deal from cold and hunger. His many letters showed his determination not to abandon his people, but to remain a faithful shepherd. He thanked God "Who gave us the grace t

Bl. Adrian Fortescue Knight of St. John, martyr, b. about 1476, executed 10 July, 1539. He belonged to the Salden branch of the great Devonshire family of Fortescue and was a true country gentleman of the period, occasionally following the King in the wars with France (1513 and 1522), not unfrequently attending the court and at other times acting as justice of the peace or commissioner for subsidies. He was knighted in 1503 and attended the Field of the Cloth of Gold (1520), and late in life (1532) became a Knight of St. John. When Anne Boleyn became queen, Sir Adrian (whose mother, Alice Boleyn, was Anne's grand-aunt) naturally profited to some extent, but, as we see from his papers, not very much. The foundations of his worldly fortunes had been laid honourably at an eartier date. He was a serious thrifty man pains-taking in business, careful in accounts, and a lover of the homely wit of that day. He collected and signed several lists of proverbs and wise saws, which, though not

Venerable Ralph Milner Feastday: July 7 Layman and martyr, born at Flacsted, Hants, England, early in the sixteenth century; suffered at Winchester, 7 July, 1591. The greater part of his life was probably passed in his native village, where, being practically illiterate, he supported his wife and eight children by manual labour. he was brought up an Anglican, but, struck by the contrast between the lives of Catholics and Protestants of his acquaintance, he determined to embrace the old religion, and, after the usual course of instruction, was received into the Church. On the very day of his first Communion, however, he was arrested for changing his religion and committed to Winchester jail. Here his good behaviour during the years of his imprisonment won him the jailer's confidence to such a degree that he was frequently allowed out on parole, and was even trusted with the keys of the prison. This leniency enabled him to render valuable service to the other Catholic prisoners and

Bl. Thomas Alfield Feastday: July 6 Priest, born at Gloucestershire; martyred at Tyburn, 6 July, 1585. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge (1568). He was afterwards converted and came to Douai College in 1576, but the troubles there compelled him to intermit his studies for four years, and he was eventually ordained and sent forth from Reims in 1581. Here he was associated with the celebrated mission of Blessed Edmund Campion and Father Persons, and he persuaded the latter to take as his servant his brother Robert Alfield, then recently converted, but who afterwards became a traitor of note. Thomas seems to have laboured chiefly in the north, where after a time he was arrested and sent to the Tower of London, 2 May, 1582. Here he at first made a "glorious" confession, and even endured torture; but being afterwards sent back to the north, he fell, and went to the Protestant Church. Upon regaining liberty he was deeply penitent for his fall, and returned to Dr. Allen at Reim

Bl. William Andleby Feastday: July 4 1597 Martyr of England. Born at Eton, near Beverley, England, he studied at St. Johns College, Cambridge, and was converted to Catholicism on the way to fight the Spanish. He went to Douai, France, and was ordained in 1577. Returning home, he worked inYorkshire and Lincolnshire for two decades. Arrested and condemned, he was executed at York with Thomas Warcop and two companions. He was beatified in 1929. Bl. Thomas Bosgrave Feastday: July 4 1594 English martyr. The nephew of Sir J. Arundel, Thomas was arrested by English authorities at Arundel's Chidicock Castle in Dorset. He was hanged at Dorchester with Blessed John Cornelius and two of his servants Bl. Thomas Warcop Feastday: July 4 1597 English martyr. A gentleman in Yorkshire, England, who sheltered Blessed William Andleby. He was arrested and condemned for giving this aid and hanged atYork with three companions on July 4 Bl. Edward Fulthrop Feastday: July 4 1597 An English martyr at Y

Ven. George Beesley (Also spelled Bisley). Martyr, born at The Hill in Goosnargh parish, Lancaster, England, of an ancient Catholic family; died 2 July, 1591. He was ordained priest at the English College at Reims, 14 March, 1587, and left for England, 1 November, 1588. A man of singular courage, young, strong, and robust, he was captured by Topcliffe late in 1590, and was by his tortured reduced to a skeleton. He endured all with invincible courage and could not be induced to betray his fellow Catholics. He suffered by the statue of 27 Eliz., merely for being a priest, in Fleet Street, London. His last words were "Absit mihi gloriari nisi in Cruce Domini Nostri Jesu Christi" and, after a pause, "Good people, I beseech God to send all felicity". Ven. Montford Scott English martyr, b. in Norfolk, England; martyred at Fleet Street, London, on 2 July, 1591. He went to Douai College in 1574, being one of the earliest students at that seminary, and studied theology. Th

Katerine of Aragon