Tag Archives: England

Incorruptible, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Audrey, Feast Day June 23

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St. Audrey

The feast day of St. Audrey is celebrated on June 23.

St. Audrey was also known as Etheldreda. She was born an English princess. At her parents insistence, she married a prince named Tonbert. He permitted her to keep the vow of virginity which she had earlier made. However, after three years she was a widow.

She was later forced to marry a king from Northumberland, named Egfrid. After twelve years he tried to change her mind about living as brother and sister. When she refused he tried to bribe the bishop St. Wilfred of York, asking him to release her from her vows. St. Wilfrid refused.

With the permission of her husband St. Audrey became a nun and founded the Abbey of Ely. She died from an enormous growth on her neck in 679. She was not yet 50 years old.

Sixteen years later her body was found to be incorrupt. 

 

Charity is the sweet holy bond that binds the soul with the Creator.

Quote of St. Catherine of Siena

 

June is the Month of the Sacred Heart

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Martyr, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Thomas More, Feast Day June 22

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St. Thomas More

The feast day of St. Thomas More is celebrated on June 22.  St. Thomas More is the patron saint of lawyers.

St. Thomas More was born in London, England in 1478. He wrote the famous book Utopia which was a work of fiction which depicted a pagan and communist island which was ruled by reason. It touched on many controversial issues and established him as a humanist.

St. Thomas More attended St. Anthony’s School in London and served as a page for the archbishop of Canterbury. He continued his studies at Oxford University eventually becoming a lawyer. He was tempted to become a monk and moved near to a Cathusian monastery near London. He participated as much as possible. Torn becoming a monk or working as a civil servant his desire to become a civil servant won. In 1504, he entered Parliament.
Life began to change in 1527 when King Henry tried to use the Bible to prove to Thomas More that his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, who failed to produce a male child, was void. St. Thomas More could not agree with King Henry’s plan to divorce Catherine.

In 1532, Thomas More resigned from the House of Commons because of his health. When More refused to swear to King Henry’s Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy he was refusing allegiance to the King.

St. Thomas More was sent to the Tower of London on April 17, 1534 and found guilty of treason. He was beheaded on July 6, 1535. His last words were:

“The king’s good servant, but God’s first.”

St. Thomas More is considered a martyr of the faith.
St. Thomas More was canonized in 1935 by Pope Pius XI.

Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

Quote of St. Thomas More

 

June is the Month of the Sacred Heart

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. William of York, Feast Day June 8

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St. William of York

 

St. William was born into a powerful family in England during the 12th century.  He was the son of Count Herbert.

In 1142 he was elected Archbishop of York, however his election was disputed on charges of simony and unchastity.  After proving his innocence he was finally consecrated Bishop in 1143.  Because of his charity and gentleness he was very popular.

When Eugenius II was elected Pope complaints again surfaced and he was suspended.  St. William went to Sicily where he lived as a monk devoting himself to a life of prayer.  After the death of Pope Eugene III Pope Anastastius IV restored William as Archbishop of York.  However just one month after he resumed office he died.  Many believed he was poisoned.  Many miracles took place at his tomb.   Pope Honorius III canonized William of York in 1227.

 

I have not even begun to think of unity when the Trinity bathes me in its splendor.

I have not even begun to think of the Trinity when unity grasps me.

Quote of St. Gregory of Nazianzus; Feast Day Jan. 2

 

Month of the Sacred Heart

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Benedictine Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Augustine of Canterbury, Feast Day May 27

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St. Augustine of Canterbury

The feast day of St. Augustine of Canterbury is celebrated on May 27.

St. Augustine was the prior of the Benedictine Monastery of St. Andrew in Rome. Pope Gregory decided he needed to send missionaries to England. Augustine and 30 monks were who he chose to send. The mission was to unite the Christians after the Saxon conquest of England.

The King of England listened with curiosity to what the missionaries had to say. On Pentecost Sunday in 597, King Ethelbert was baptized. He believed in religious freedom and did not make his new religion mandatory however many followed his example and were baptized. St. Augustine was not successful in uniting the Anglo-Saxon Christians with the original Briton Christians (Celtics). He followed Pope Gregory’s advice to purify rather than destroy pagan temples and customs. As much as possible pagan rites and festivals were changed into Christian feasts.

St. Augustine died eight years after arriving in England. He died on May 26.

God’s works are not regulated by our plans and wishes.

Quote of St. Vincent de Paul; Feast day September 27

 

May is the Month of Our Lady

Doctor of the Church, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Bede the Venerable, Feast Day May 25

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St. Bede

The feast day of St. Bede the Venerable is celebrated on May 25.

St. Bede was born  in Sunderland, England in 672 or 673 near the Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul.  At an early age he was sent there to be educated.  His entire life became a life of study and prayer.

At the age of 19, he ordained a deacon.  He became a priest at the age of 30.  After declining  a request to be abbot of his monastery he chose to instead focus on writing.  He wrote over 60 books, which have not survived.  He also translated writings of the early church Fathers from Latin and Greek into English.

St. Bede died on Ascension Thursday, May 26, 735 while singing to God.   Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1899.

 

Christ is the morning star, who, when the night of this world is past, brings to His saints the promise of the light of life and opens everlasting day.

Quote of St. Bede

May is the Month of Our Lady

Faith, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Carthusian Martyrs, Feast Day May 11

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Carthusian Martyrs

The feast day of the Carthusian Martyrs is celebrated on May 11. The Carthusian Order was founded in 1084 by St. Bruno of Cologne. It was a strict order. Its members lived as hermits, focusing on contemplative prayer. It consisted of 25 houses with 350 male and 75 female members. They came under attack during the Hessite Revolution in Bohemia in the 15th century.

In 1537 during the English Reformation the London Charter house was dissolved. Its members were put in prison and later executed when they refuse to declare King Henry the head of the Church of England. King Henry issued the “Act of Supremacy” declaring any who refused to take an oath recognizing him as head of the Church of England to be guilty of high treason. Eighteen Carthusians refused and were sentenced to death.

The first Carthusians to be martyred were hanged, drawn and quartered. All were tortured before they were martyred. Eighteen were beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. Three were canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.

Our Lord likes courage.  Get it from Him.  You won’t find it in yourself.

 

Quote of St. Katherine Drexel; Feast day March 3 


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