ENGLISH SAINTS AND MARTYRS JULY 25-JULY 31
July 25
St. Nissen . Abbot and an Irishman, he was converted by St. Patrick and later became abbot of Mountgarret monastery in Wexford.
July 26
Bl. William Ward, 1641 A.D. 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. When Catholic priests were banished on April 7, 1641, William was arrested. On July 26, he was executed at Tyburn.
Bl. John Ingram, 1594 A.D. Martyr of Scotland. He was born in Stoke Edith, Herefordshire, in 1565, and became a convert at Oxford. After conversion, he went to Reims and Rome and was ordained in 1589. Sent to Scotland in 1592, John was arrested on the Tyneside and taken to the Tower of London, where he was tortured Martyred at Gateshead, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered.
July 28
St. Samson, 565 A.D. Welsh bishop and evangelizer. Born at Glamorgan, Wales, he became a disciple of St. Illtyd at the monastery of Lianwit (Llantwit) in southern Glamorgan and then lived as a monk (and later abbot) of a community on Caldey Island (Ynys Byr). He was joined there by his uncle, Umbrafel, and his father, Amon. After a trip to Ireland, Samson became a hermit with Amon whom he cured of a mortal illness. During a trip to Cornwall, he was consecrated a bishop and appointed an abbot. He then departed England and went to Brittany where he spent the rest of his life as a missionary, even though he had long searched for solitude. Samson founded monasteries, including one at Dol and another at Pental, in Normandy. He was one of the foremost (if not relatively unknown) evangelizers of his century and has long been venerated with enthusiasm in Wales and Brittany.
July 29
St. Kilian, 7th century. An Irish abbot who wrote the life of St. Brigid. He ruled a monastery on the island of Iniscaltra, Ireland.
July 30
St. Tatwine, 734 A.D. Archbishop of Canterbury from 731. Probably from Mercia, England, he became a monk at Bredon, and eventually was named archbishop of Canterbury in succession to Brithwald. Respected by St. Bede, he was the author of several works, including a grammar and riddles.
Bl. Thomas Abel, 1540 A.D. 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, 1504 A.D. 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.
St. Ermengytha, 680 A.D. Benedictine nun, a daughter or sister of St. Ermenberga. She lived in Minster, on Thanet Isle, England, at a monastery ruled by Ermenberga.
Bl. Everard Hanse, 1581 A.D. Martyr of England who announced “O happy day!” as he died. He was raised a Protestant in Northhamptonshire, England, studied at Cambridge, and was ordained a minister. In 1568, he converted to the Church and went to Reims, France, where he was ordained in 1581. Returning as a missionary, Everard was arrested and condemned. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn on July 31. He was beatified in 1886.
Bl. Richard Featherstone, 1540 A.D. English martyr. Richard served as a chaplain to Queen Catherine of Aragon and tutor to the princess Mary I. In the crisis which attended the king’s efforts to secure divorce from his wife, Richard spoke openly in her defense and was arrested for treason and executed at Tyburn.
July 31
St. Neot, Hermit, and relative of King Alfred the Great. A monk of Glastonbury, England, he was ordained before he departed to become a hermit in Cornwall. Tradition states that King Alfred visited him for his counsel
St. Nissen . Abbot and an Irishman, he was converted by St. Patrick and later became abbot of Mountgarret monastery in Wexford.
July 26
Bl. William Ward, 1641 A.D. 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. When Catholic priests were banished on April 7, 1641, William was arrested. On July 26, he was executed at Tyburn.
Bl. John Ingram, 1594 A.D. Martyr of Scotland. He was born in Stoke Edith, Herefordshire, in 1565, and became a convert at Oxford. After conversion, he went to Reims and Rome and was ordained in 1589. Sent to Scotland in 1592, John was arrested on the Tyneside and taken to the Tower of London, where he was tortured Martyred at Gateshead, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered.
July 28
St. Samson, 565 A.D. Welsh bishop and evangelizer. Born at Glamorgan, Wales, he became a disciple of St. Illtyd at the monastery of Lianwit (Llantwit) in southern Glamorgan and then lived as a monk (and later abbot) of a community on Caldey Island (Ynys Byr). He was joined there by his uncle, Umbrafel, and his father, Amon. After a trip to Ireland, Samson became a hermit with Amon whom he cured of a mortal illness. During a trip to Cornwall, he was consecrated a bishop and appointed an abbot. He then departed England and went to Brittany where he spent the rest of his life as a missionary, even though he had long searched for solitude. Samson founded monasteries, including one at Dol and another at Pental, in Normandy. He was one of the foremost (if not relatively unknown) evangelizers of his century and has long been venerated with enthusiasm in Wales and Brittany.
July 29
St. Kilian, 7th century. An Irish abbot who wrote the life of St. Brigid. He ruled a monastery on the island of Iniscaltra, Ireland.
July 30
St. Tatwine, 734 A.D. Archbishop of Canterbury from 731. Probably from Mercia, England, he became a monk at Bredon, and eventually was named archbishop of Canterbury in succession to Brithwald. Respected by St. Bede, he was the author of several works, including a grammar and riddles.
Bl. Thomas Abel, 1540 A.D. 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, 1504 A.D. 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.
St. Ermengytha, 680 A.D. Benedictine nun, a daughter or sister of St. Ermenberga. She lived in Minster, on Thanet Isle, England, at a monastery ruled by Ermenberga.
Bl. Everard Hanse, 1581 A.D. Martyr of England who announced “O happy day!” as he died. He was raised a Protestant in Northhamptonshire, England, studied at Cambridge, and was ordained a minister. In 1568, he converted to the Church and went to Reims, France, where he was ordained in 1581. Returning as a missionary, Everard was arrested and condemned. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn on July 31. He was beatified in 1886.
Bl. Richard Featherstone, 1540 A.D. English martyr. Richard served as a chaplain to Queen Catherine of Aragon and tutor to the princess Mary I. In the crisis which attended the king’s efforts to secure divorce from his wife, Richard spoke openly in her defense and was arrested for treason and executed at Tyburn.
July 31
St. Neot, Hermit, and relative of King Alfred the Great. A monk of Glastonbury, England, he was ordained before he departed to become a hermit in Cornwall. Tradition states that King Alfred visited him for his counsel
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