The four British Jesuits who were martyred in 1606 spent some time being interrogated in the Tower of London
Bernard Parkin SJ sets the scene for a service planned to remember Ashley, Garnet, Oldcorne and Owen.
In addition to sharing in the celebration of the anniversaries of St Ignatius Loyola, St Francis Xavier and Blessed Peter Favre, the British Province of the Society is celebrating its own special anniversary.
Under Queen Elizabeth the First and her successor, King James the First, there were heavy penalties, including death, for being Jesuits and for being Catholic priests. Laypeople also were penalised. The persecution became much worse after the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Jesuits were not involved in it and remained loyal to the monarch, but the Government did its best to use the occasion to persuade the people that Jesuits could not be trusted. In the year 1606 two Jesuits priests and a Jesuit Brother were executed and a second Brother, Nicholas Owen, died on the rack.
Fr Henry Garnet was educated at Winchester School, but escaped to Rome at the age of 19 and became a Jesuit in 1575. For some time he taught Hebrew and mathematics with distinction. He was summoned to England in 1586 and soon after was appointed Superior of the English Jesuits. For 17 years he worked with Fr Edward Oldcorne, who had also trained as a Jesuit priest overseas. Edward was a courteous and kindly man whose cancer of the throat was cured after a pilgrimage to St Winefride’s Well in North Wales.
Ralph Ashley, a cook at the English College in Rheims, became a Jesuit Brother and was sent back to England, where he helped Fr Edward in Worcester for eight years. Nicholas Owen was the son of a carpenter. From 1587 he used his great skill to construct ingenious hiding holes in Catholic homes in various parts of the country. Some time after 1594 he became a Jesuit Brother.
To escape from the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot, the four men went to Hindlip Hall in Worcestshire, where Nicholas had built eleven hiding holes. The house was searched and the Jesuits were found and sent to the Tower of London, where they were tortured. Ralph was condemned to death, along with Edward and both were executed at Redhill, Worcester. Henry was put to death at old St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Fr Henry Garnet, Blessed Edward Oldcorne, Saint Nicholas Owen and Blessed Ralph Ashley gladly gave their lives in witness to the Catholic Faith, without any criticism of their persecutors. May their example encourage us to be grateful for our faith and go on praying for Christian unity.
On Saturday 6th May, by kind permission of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, there will be a special service at the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London. The Papal Nuncio will be joined by over 100 Jesuits, friends and others to commemorate these four great men.
In addition to sharing in the celebration of the anniversaries of St Ignatius Loyola, St Francis Xavier and Blessed Peter Favre, the British Province of the Society is celebrating its own special anniversary.
Under Queen Elizabeth the First and her successor, King James the First, there were heavy penalties, including death, for being Jesuits and for being Catholic priests. Laypeople also were penalised. The persecution became much worse after the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Jesuits were not involved in it and remained loyal to the monarch, but the Government did its best to use the occasion to persuade the people that Jesuits could not be trusted. In the year 1606 two Jesuits priests and a Jesuit Brother were executed and a second Brother, Nicholas Owen, died on the rack.
Fr Henry Garnet was educated at Winchester School, but escaped to Rome at the age of 19 and became a Jesuit in 1575. For some time he taught Hebrew and mathematics with distinction. He was summoned to England in 1586 and soon after was appointed Superior of the English Jesuits. For 17 years he worked with Fr Edward Oldcorne, who had also trained as a Jesuit priest overseas. Edward was a courteous and kindly man whose cancer of the throat was cured after a pilgrimage to St Winefride’s Well in North Wales.
Ralph Ashley, a cook at the English College in Rheims, became a Jesuit Brother and was sent back to England, where he helped Fr Edward in Worcester for eight years. Nicholas Owen was the son of a carpenter. From 1587 he used his great skill to construct ingenious hiding holes in Catholic homes in various parts of the country. Some time after 1594 he became a Jesuit Brother.
To escape from the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot, the four men went to Hindlip Hall in Worcestshire, where Nicholas had built eleven hiding holes. The house was searched and the Jesuits were found and sent to the Tower of London, where they were tortured. Ralph was condemned to death, along with Edward and both were executed at Redhill, Worcester. Henry was put to death at old St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Fr Henry Garnet, Blessed Edward Oldcorne, Saint Nicholas Owen and Blessed Ralph Ashley gladly gave their lives in witness to the Catholic Faith, without any criticism of their persecutors. May their example encourage us to be grateful for our faith and go on praying for Christian unity.
On Saturday 6th May, by kind permission of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, there will be a special service at the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London. The Papal Nuncio will be joined by over 100 Jesuits, friends and others to commemorate these four great men.