THREE MINUTES WITH THE SAINTS
The English Saint and Martyr You’ve Never Heard Of
From a period of British history most have forgotten
When we think of the times in history when the Church was severely persecuted, we most often think of periods like the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian or the era of Soviet domination over Eastern Europe. What rarely, if ever, comes to mind is the Golden Age of Queen Elizabeth I of England or the time of King James I (who gave us the King James Bible). But the period from Henry VIII’s break with Rome to the end of the reign of Charles II (roughly from 1534 to 1680) saw the most intense persecution of Catholics in British history, a time known variously as the English Reformation or the Age of the English Martyrs. During this period, monasteries were looted and destroyed, Catholicism was banned, and any priest found in the country was executed.
It is estimated that at least 287 Catholics were executed during the English Reformation, 56 of them women; many others died in prison awaiting execution. And while many people know about St. Thomas More (especially from the classic 1966 film A Man for All Seasons) and Bishop St. John Fisher, few today know a Jesuit priest who was martyred for the Faith named Edmund Campion. That is a shame, because he was a man devoted to both…
