ENGLISH SAINTS AND MARTYRS JULY 11-JULY17
July 11
St. Turketil , 975 A.D. Abbot and brother of King Edred of England, he served as his chancellor until 948 when he abandoned the court life and entered a monastery. He soon became abbot of Croyland and successfully established a school which was attached to the community.
St. Oliver Plunkett, 1681 A.D. 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.
The year 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 to suffer for the chair of Peter." The persecution eased a little and he was able to move more openly among his people. In 1679 he was arrested and falsely charged with treason. The government in power could not get him convicted at his trial in Dundalk. He was brought to London and was unable to defend himself because he was not given time to bring his own witnesses from Ireland. He was put on trial, and with the help of perjured witnesses, was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn. With deep serenity of soul, he was prepared to die, calmly rebutting the charge of treason, refusing to save himself by giving false evidence against his brother bishops. Oliver Plunkett publicly forgave all those who were responsible for his death on July 1, 1681. On October 12, 1975, he was canonized a saint.
St. Drostan, 610 A.D. Irish born abbot, a disciple of St. Columba. Drostan was a member of the royal Cosgrach family of Ireland. He was named the first abbot of Deer in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and is considered an apostle to Scotland. He ended his days near Glenesk, Angus, and a well is associated with him at Aberdour.
July 12
St. Menulphus, 7th century. Bishop of Quimper in Brittany, France, originally an Irish pilgrim. Also called Menou, Menuiphus made a journey to Rome and died at Bourges on his return to Quimper.
Bl. David Gonson, 1541 A.D. Martyred English knight of St. John. He was the son of a British vice-admiral. David was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Southwark.
St. John Jones, 1598 A.D. Franciscan member of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born in Clynog Fawr, Gwynedd, Wales, and left the island for Rome where he became a Franciscan. He was ordained and returned to England in 1592, where he used the alias Buckley to assist his work. Arrested by English authorities for caring for the prisoners of London, he was kept in confinement for two years. John was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Southwark, London. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970.
July 13
Bl. Thomas Tunstal, 1616 A.D. 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.
St. Dogfan, 5th century. Welsh martyr, descended from chieftain Brychan of Brecknock. He was slain by pagan invaders at Dyfed, Wales. A church there honors his memory.
July 14
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, 1680 A.D. Patron of the environment and ecology. Kateri was born near the town of Auriesville, New York, in the year 1656, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She was four years old when her mother died of smallpox. The disease also attacked Kateri and transfigured her face. She was adopted by her two aunts and an uncle. Kateri became converted as a teenager. She was baptized at the age of twenty and incurred the great hostility of her tribe. Although she had to suffer greatly for her Faith, she remained firm in it. Kateri went to the new Christian colony of Indians in Canada. Here she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penitential practices, and care for the sick and aged. Every morning, even in bitterest winter, she stood before the chapel door until it opened at four and remained there until after the last Mass. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to Jesus Crucified. She died on April 7, 1680 at the age of twenty-four. She is known as the "Lily of the Mohawks". Devotion to Kateri is responsible for establishing Native American ministries in Catholic Churches all over the United States and Canada. Kateri was declared venerable by the Catholic Church in 1943 and she was Beatified in 1980. Work is currently underway to have her Canonized by the Church. Hundreds of thousands have visited shrines to Kateri erected at both St. Francis Xavier and Caughnawaga and at her birth place at Auriesville, New York. Pilgrimages at these sites continue today. Bl. Kateri Teckakwitha is the first Native American to be declared a Blessed.
Bl. Richard Langhorne, 1679 A.D. 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, and 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.
July 15
St. Swithun "Swithin". Swithun, also spelled Swithin, was born in Wessex, England and was educated at the old monastery, Winchester, where he was ordained. He became chaplain to King Egbert of the West Saxons, who appointed him tutor of his son, Ethelwulf, and was one of the King's counselors. Swithun was named bishop of Winchester in 852 when Ethelwulf succeeded his father as king. Swithun built several churches and was known for his humility and his aid to the poor and needy. He died on July 2. A long-held superstition declares it will rain for forty days if it rains on his feast day of July 15, but the reason for and origin of this belief are unknown.
St. Donald. All that is recorded of this saint, whose name is so common in Scotland, is that he lived at Ogilvy in Forfarshire in the eighth century, that his wife bore him nine daughters, and that on her death they formed a sort of community who led the religious life under his direction. But if no more is known of him, he has nevertheless left his mark otherwise, for the often found natural features, wells, hills, and so on, which are known as the "Nine Maidens", are so called in memory of his daughters. They are said to have afterwards entered a monastery founded by St. Darlugdach and St. Brigid at Abernethy, and were commemorated on July 18. The popularity of the name in Scotland must be attributed, not to veneration for the saint, but to the ubiquity of the sons of Somerled of the Isles, clan Donald.
St. Edith of Polesworth. St. Edith of Polesworth, whose feast day is July 15, was the sister of King Athelstan of England. She married Viking king Sihtric at York in 925, and when he died the next year, she became a Benedictine nun at Polesworth, Warwickshire, where she was noted for her holiness and may have become Abbess. She may also have been the sister of King Edgar and aunt of St. Edith of Wilton; or possibly these were two different woman of Polesworth
St. Seduinus. English saint possibly identical to St. Swithin or Sithian.
St. David of Sweden, 1080 A.D. Benedictine bishop, born in England and sometimes called David of Muntorp. He went as a missionary to Sweden to aid Bishop Sigfrid of Vaxio, who had lost his three missionary nephews. Sigfrid sent David to Vastmanland, and there David founded a monastery at Munktorp or Monkentorp. He ruled that monastery as abbot until becoming the bishop of Vasteras
St. Plechelm, 775 A.D. A Benedictine companion to St. Wiro. Plecheim was from Northumbria, England, and was an ordained priest. He traveled with St. Wiro to establish a monastery at Odilienburg.
July 16
St. Tenenan, 7th century. Hermit and bishop. A native of Britain, he lived for many years as a recluse in Brittany, France, and later served as bishop of Le6n, Spain.
St. Helier, 6th century. Martyr on the island of Jersey, Britain. Also called Helerous, he was murdered by pagans he was evangelizing. He was born in Tongres, Belgium, and raised by a priest; later, he spent time with St. Marculf at Nanteuil.
July 17
St. Turninus, 9th century. Irish priest and missionary. He labored to help evangelize the region of the Netherlands with St. Foillan, especially in the area around Antwerp.
St. Cynllo, 5th century. Welsh saint, patron of churches named in his honor. No records of his life are extant.
St. Fredegand. Benedictine abbot, an Irishman and a companion of St. Foillan. He was abbot of Kerkeloder Abbey, near Antwerp, Belgium, also listed as Fregaut. He also aided St. Willibrord.
St. Kenelm, 821 A.D. Martyred king of Mercia, England. Traditions state that he was the son of King Kenulf, who succeeded to the throne at the age of seven. He was murdered by henchmen of his sister, Cynefrith. Another tradition states that his sister Quendreda bribed his tutor to slay him. He is buried at Winchcombe Abbey, in Gloucestershire. Miracles took place there. Kenelm is now belived to have died before his father. He is mentioned in the Canterbury Tales.
St. Turketil , 975 A.D. Abbot and brother of King Edred of England, he served as his chancellor until 948 when he abandoned the court life and entered a monastery. He soon became abbot of Croyland and successfully established a school which was attached to the community.
St. Oliver Plunkett, 1681 A.D. 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.
The year 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 to suffer for the chair of Peter." The persecution eased a little and he was able to move more openly among his people. In 1679 he was arrested and falsely charged with treason. The government in power could not get him convicted at his trial in Dundalk. He was brought to London and was unable to defend himself because he was not given time to bring his own witnesses from Ireland. He was put on trial, and with the help of perjured witnesses, was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn. With deep serenity of soul, he was prepared to die, calmly rebutting the charge of treason, refusing to save himself by giving false evidence against his brother bishops. Oliver Plunkett publicly forgave all those who were responsible for his death on July 1, 1681. On October 12, 1975, he was canonized a saint.
St. Drostan, 610 A.D. Irish born abbot, a disciple of St. Columba. Drostan was a member of the royal Cosgrach family of Ireland. He was named the first abbot of Deer in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and is considered an apostle to Scotland. He ended his days near Glenesk, Angus, and a well is associated with him at Aberdour.
July 12
St. Menulphus, 7th century. Bishop of Quimper in Brittany, France, originally an Irish pilgrim. Also called Menou, Menuiphus made a journey to Rome and died at Bourges on his return to Quimper.
Bl. David Gonson, 1541 A.D. Martyred English knight of St. John. He was the son of a British vice-admiral. David was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Southwark.
St. John Jones, 1598 A.D. Franciscan member of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born in Clynog Fawr, Gwynedd, Wales, and left the island for Rome where he became a Franciscan. He was ordained and returned to England in 1592, where he used the alias Buckley to assist his work. Arrested by English authorities for caring for the prisoners of London, he was kept in confinement for two years. John was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Southwark, London. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970.
July 13
Bl. Thomas Tunstal, 1616 A.D. 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.
St. Dogfan, 5th century. Welsh martyr, descended from chieftain Brychan of Brecknock. He was slain by pagan invaders at Dyfed, Wales. A church there honors his memory.
July 14
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, 1680 A.D. Patron of the environment and ecology. Kateri was born near the town of Auriesville, New York, in the year 1656, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She was four years old when her mother died of smallpox. The disease also attacked Kateri and transfigured her face. She was adopted by her two aunts and an uncle. Kateri became converted as a teenager. She was baptized at the age of twenty and incurred the great hostility of her tribe. Although she had to suffer greatly for her Faith, she remained firm in it. Kateri went to the new Christian colony of Indians in Canada. Here she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penitential practices, and care for the sick and aged. Every morning, even in bitterest winter, she stood before the chapel door until it opened at four and remained there until after the last Mass. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to Jesus Crucified. She died on April 7, 1680 at the age of twenty-four. She is known as the "Lily of the Mohawks". Devotion to Kateri is responsible for establishing Native American ministries in Catholic Churches all over the United States and Canada. Kateri was declared venerable by the Catholic Church in 1943 and she was Beatified in 1980. Work is currently underway to have her Canonized by the Church. Hundreds of thousands have visited shrines to Kateri erected at both St. Francis Xavier and Caughnawaga and at her birth place at Auriesville, New York. Pilgrimages at these sites continue today. Bl. Kateri Teckakwitha is the first Native American to be declared a Blessed.
Bl. Richard Langhorne, 1679 A.D. 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, and 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.
July 15
St. Swithun "Swithin". Swithun, also spelled Swithin, was born in Wessex, England and was educated at the old monastery, Winchester, where he was ordained. He became chaplain to King Egbert of the West Saxons, who appointed him tutor of his son, Ethelwulf, and was one of the King's counselors. Swithun was named bishop of Winchester in 852 when Ethelwulf succeeded his father as king. Swithun built several churches and was known for his humility and his aid to the poor and needy. He died on July 2. A long-held superstition declares it will rain for forty days if it rains on his feast day of July 15, but the reason for and origin of this belief are unknown.
St. Donald. All that is recorded of this saint, whose name is so common in Scotland, is that he lived at Ogilvy in Forfarshire in the eighth century, that his wife bore him nine daughters, and that on her death they formed a sort of community who led the religious life under his direction. But if no more is known of him, he has nevertheless left his mark otherwise, for the often found natural features, wells, hills, and so on, which are known as the "Nine Maidens", are so called in memory of his daughters. They are said to have afterwards entered a monastery founded by St. Darlugdach and St. Brigid at Abernethy, and were commemorated on July 18. The popularity of the name in Scotland must be attributed, not to veneration for the saint, but to the ubiquity of the sons of Somerled of the Isles, clan Donald.
St. Edith of Polesworth. St. Edith of Polesworth, whose feast day is July 15, was the sister of King Athelstan of England. She married Viking king Sihtric at York in 925, and when he died the next year, she became a Benedictine nun at Polesworth, Warwickshire, where she was noted for her holiness and may have become Abbess. She may also have been the sister of King Edgar and aunt of St. Edith of Wilton; or possibly these were two different woman of Polesworth
St. Seduinus. English saint possibly identical to St. Swithin or Sithian.
St. David of Sweden, 1080 A.D. Benedictine bishop, born in England and sometimes called David of Muntorp. He went as a missionary to Sweden to aid Bishop Sigfrid of Vaxio, who had lost his three missionary nephews. Sigfrid sent David to Vastmanland, and there David founded a monastery at Munktorp or Monkentorp. He ruled that monastery as abbot until becoming the bishop of Vasteras
St. Plechelm, 775 A.D. A Benedictine companion to St. Wiro. Plecheim was from Northumbria, England, and was an ordained priest. He traveled with St. Wiro to establish a monastery at Odilienburg.
July 16
St. Tenenan, 7th century. Hermit and bishop. A native of Britain, he lived for many years as a recluse in Brittany, France, and later served as bishop of Le6n, Spain.
St. Helier, 6th century. Martyr on the island of Jersey, Britain. Also called Helerous, he was murdered by pagans he was evangelizing. He was born in Tongres, Belgium, and raised by a priest; later, he spent time with St. Marculf at Nanteuil.
July 17
St. Turninus, 9th century. Irish priest and missionary. He labored to help evangelize the region of the Netherlands with St. Foillan, especially in the area around Antwerp.
St. Cynllo, 5th century. Welsh saint, patron of churches named in his honor. No records of his life are extant.
St. Fredegand. Benedictine abbot, an Irishman and a companion of St. Foillan. He was abbot of Kerkeloder Abbey, near Antwerp, Belgium, also listed as Fregaut. He also aided St. Willibrord.
St. Kenelm, 821 A.D. Martyred king of Mercia, England. Traditions state that he was the son of King Kenulf, who succeeded to the throne at the age of seven. He was murdered by henchmen of his sister, Cynefrith. Another tradition states that his sister Quendreda bribed his tutor to slay him. He is buried at Winchcombe Abbey, in Gloucestershire. Miracles took place there. Kenelm is now belived to have died before his father. He is mentioned in the Canterbury Tales.
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