English Speaking Saints And Martyrs

June 28 St. Almus , 1270 A.D. Cistercian abbot also called Alme and Alanus. He was a monk in the English Cistercian monastery at Melrose when he was elected abbot of Scotland's Balmerino monastery, founded by Ermengardis, the widow of William I of Scotland. St. John Southworth, 1654 A.D. One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales . He was born in Lancashire and became a priest in 1619 in Douai. Sent to England that same year, he was arrested but released through the intercession of Queen Henrietta Maria. He joined St. Henry Morse, subsequently working diligently during the plague of 1636. Arrested again, he was martyred by being hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tybum. His relics are in Westminster Cathedral in London, discovered there in 1927. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970. St. Austell , 6th century. Confessor and disciple of St. Newman of Cornwall, England. Modern scholars believe that Austell was a woman named Hoystill, a daughter of Brychan of Wales. St. Crummine , 5th c...

June 20 St. Govan , 6th century. Hermit who lived on a cliff at St. Govan’s Head, Dyfed, Wales. He was a disciple of St. Ailbhe and in some lists is called Cofen or Gonen. Bl. Anthony Turner, 1679 A.D. Martyr of England . The son of a Protestant minister, he was born in Leicestershire and educated at Cambridge. A convert to Catholicism, Anthony went to Rome and joined the Jesuits in Flanders and was ordained in 1661. He returned to England and labored in Worcester until he was arrested in the so-called Titus Oates affair. Convicted on perjured evidence, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn on June 20. Anthony was beatified in 1929. Bl. William Harcourt, 1679 A.D. Jesuit martyr of England , also called William Barrows. Born in Lancashire in 1609, he studied at St. Omer, France, where in 1632 he became a Jesuit. Returning to England in 1645, he labored in London on behalf of the Catholic mission for more than thirty years. Condemned falsely for complicity in the so-called Popish...

June 13 St. Damhnade . Virgin venerated in Ireland. June 14 St. Cearan , 870 A.D. Irish abbot called “the Devout,” also known as Ciaran. He was abbot of Bellach-Duin now Castle Kerrant, County Meath. St. Dogmael , 6th century. Welsh monk of the house of Cunedda, the son of Ithel ab Ceredig ab Cunedda Wledig. He preached in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and then went to Brittany, in France. Several churches bear his name. St. Elgar , 1100 A.D. Hermit on the isle of Bardsey, off the coast of Cearnarvon, Wales. He was born in Devonshire, England, and spent many years as a captive in Ireland. St. Nennus . Abbot. From Ireland, he became abbot of monasteries on the isles of Arran and Bute. Nennus was the successor of St. Enda June 15 St. Vouga , 6th century. Irish bishop also called Vougar, Veho, and Fiech. He gave up his post and went to Brittany, France, where he lived as a hermit near Lesneven. St. Trillo , 6th century. A Welsh saint of whom little is known beyond his status as patron saint of tw...

June 6 Bl. Walter Pierson, 1537 A.D. Carthusian martyr of England . A member of the Carthusian Charterhouse of London, he served as a lay brother and was arrested with his companions by English authorities for opposing the religious policies of King Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547). With six other Carthusians, he was starved to death in prison. St. Cocca , Patroness of Kilcock on the borders of Counties Meath and Kildare in Ireland also called Cucca or Cuach. St. Jarlath . St. Jarlath, Bishop is regarded as the founder and principle patron of the Archdiocese of Tuam in Galway, Ireland. He belonged to the Conmaicne family, perhaps the most important and powerful family in Galway during that period. Jarlath was trained by a holy man and ordained a priest along with his cousin. He then founded the monastery of Cluain Fois, just outside Tuam, and presided over that monastery as abbot-bishop. Later, Jarlath opened a school attached to the monastery, one which soon became known as a great center o...

May 30 Bl. William Filby Feastday: May 30 1582 A.D. Martyr of England. Born in Oxfordshire, he studied at Oxford. After graduation, William was converted to Catholicism and went to Reims, France, where he received ordination as a priest in 1581. He returned to England immediately and was arrested with St. Edmund Campion. William was executed at Tyburn with three companions on May 30. He was beatified in 1886. Bl. Thomas Cottam Feastday: May 30 1582 A.D. English martyr . Born at Dilworth, Lancashire, England, in 1549, he was raised as a Protestant and studied at Oxford University before undergoing a conversion to Catholicism. Leaving England to prepare for ordination at Douai and Rome, he was ordained and joined the Jesuits. going home in 1580. Arrested at his landing at Dover, he was taken to the Tower of London and eventually hanged, drawn, and quartered with three companions. St. Walstan Feastday: May 30 1016 A.D. Penitent and model of charity. Born at Bawburgh, near Norwich, Englan...

May 23 St. William of Rochester Feastday: May 23 Patron of adopted children St. William of Rochester whose feast day is May 23rd is the patron saint of adopted children. William was a well-to-do burgher at Perth, Scotland. He went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his adopted son David who murdered him near Rochester, England. When a mentally deranged woman found his body and cared for it, she was miraculously cured of her mental problems. Reportedly miracles occurred at his grave, and it is said that he was canonized by Pope Alexander IV in 1256, though there is no record of such a canonization. There is a shrine dedicated to William at Rochester Cathedral. St. Goban Feastday: May 23 6th or 7th century Abbot also called Gobhnena. He is believed to be the Goban mentioned in the life of St. Laserian. Goban served in Tascaffin, County Limerick, Ireland. St. David I Feastday: May 24 1153 A.D. King of Scotland , the son of King Malcolm III and St. Margaret, born in 1084. He was sent to the E...

May 16 St. Simon Stock Feastday: May 16 Although little is known about Simon Stock's early life, legend has it that the name Stock, meaning "tree trunk," derives from the fact that, beginning at age twelve, he lived as a hermit in a hollow tree trunk of an oak tree. It is also believed that, as a young man, he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he joined a group of Carmelites with whom he later returned to Europe. Simon Stock founded many Carmelite Communities, especially in University towns such as Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, and he helped to change the Carmelites from a hermit Order to one of mendicant friars. In 1254 he was elected Superior-General of his Order at London. Simon Stock's lasting fame came from an apparition he had in Cambridge, England, on July 16, 1251, at a time when the Carmelite Order was being oppressed. In it the Virgin Mary appeared to him holding the brown scapular in one hand. Her words were: "Receive, my beloved s...

Bl. Thomas Pickering 1679A.D. Feastday May 9 Benedictine martyr . Born in Westmoreland, England, he entered the Benedictines as a lay brother at Douai, France, and there took his vows in 1660. Going home to England, he became attached to the Benedictines in the service of the Chapel Royal of Queen Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II (r. 1660-1685). Arrested as part of the "Popish Plot," he was condemned and hanged at Tyburn. St. Beatus Feastday: May 9 112 A.D. A monk and hermit, called Beatus of Lungern and earlier designated as the Apostle of Switzerland. Baptized in England by St. Barnabas and ordained by St. Peter, Beatus went to Switzerland. He lived and died on Mount Beatenburg above Lake Thun. The cave became a popular pilgrim's destination, the famed site of Beatus' fight with a dragon. St. Sanctan Feastday: May 9 6th century Irish bishop. He governed two sees, at Kill-da-Les and Kill-na-Sanctan (modern Dublin). It is possible that he was British by b...

St. Ultan Feastday: May 2 686 A.D. Benedictine abbot.The brother of Sts. Fursey and Foil Ian, he followed them into the monastic life, entering the community of monks at Burgh Castle, nearyarmouth, East Anglia, England. He subsequently went to France to escape the predations of the Mercians and was greeted with enthusiasm by St. Gertrude of Nivelles. After serving as chaplain to Gertrude's nuns, be became the founding abbot of Fosses Monastery on land given to him by Sts. Gertrude and Ita. He also ruled Peronne. St. Neachtian Feastday: May 2 Irish confessor. He was a friend of St. Patrick, possibly a relative, and was supposedly present when Patrick died. St. Ethelwin Feast day: May 3. (d. eighth century) Second bishop of Lindsey, England. He accompanied St. Egbert to Ire­land, where he died. St. Scannal Feastday: May 3 563 A.D. Disciple of St. Columba and an Irish missionary. He was associated with the region of CellColeraine. St. John Houghton Feastday: May ...

Bl. William Marsden 1586 A.D. Feastday: April 25 Martyr of England . A native of Lancashire, he studied at Oxford and then departed the island for Reims, France, where he was ordained in 1585 with Blessed Robert Anderson. They were sent to England but were forced to land on the Isle of Wight in a storm. They were arrested and then condemned and hanged on April 25 on Wight. Both were beatified in 1929, and share the feast. St. Mella Feastday: April 25 780 A.D. Widow and abbess. She was the mother of St. Cannech and Tigernach, and lived in Connaught, Ireland. She became the abbess of Doire­Melle, Leitrim. St. Riquier Feastday: April 26 645 A.D. Abbot and hermit, also called Richarius. Born at Celles, near Amiens, France, he became a priest after rescuing two Irish missionaries from a murderous band of local pagans. After studying in England, he was ordained and returned home, where he founded an abbey at Celles over which he presided as abbot. He later resigned from his...

St. Cogitosus Feastday: April 18 8th century Monk of Kildare, Ireland, and the biographer of St. Brigid. This work is invaluable because of its details of St. Brigid in the era in which she lived. St. Laserian Feastday: April 18 639 A.D. Bishop and papal legate, brother of St. Goban, also listed as Molaisse. Laserian was born in Ireland and was a monk on lona, Scotland. He went to Rome and was ordained by Pope St. Gregory I the Great. Returning to Ireland, Laserian supported Roman liturgical images, and he went back to Rome with a group to have Pope Honorius I settle the dispute. Laserian was made a bishop and papal legate to Ireland. In 637, he succeeded his brother, St. Goban, as abbot of Leighlin. St. James Duckett, Blessed Feastday: April 18 1602 A.D. Martyr of England , hanged at Tybum. James was born in Gilfortriggs, Westmoreland, England. After being drawn to Catholicism, he refused to attend Protestant services and passed two terms in prison. He then took instructions and was b...