Today* is the anniversary of the execution of another of the English priest martyrs, Blessed Thomas Woodhouse.
Blessed Thomas was apprehended whilst saying Holy Mass and thrown into London's grim Fleet Prison.
And then, when the Plague took grip on the capital, he was moved to the Cambridge house of Tyrrel, the Fleet Warder.
He was not a silent witness to the Faith, or, a silent guest.
He rebuked Tyrrel (knowing that he was an ex Catholic) for eating meat during Lent and told him that he would not stay under the same roof as him if he continued to do so.
When a Protestant grace was said at table, he refused to take part and, on one occasion, he was placed in the stocks for this act of rebellion and publicly abused.
Back in the Fleet Blessed Thomas continued with his practice of saying the Mass daily as well as The Divine Office.
He despatched letters to Lord Burghley (Queen Elizabeth's Chief Minister) asking him to repent and to counsel the Queen to join him.
When interviewed by Lord Burghley, Blessed Thomas refused to recognise his status and addressed him as "Mr Cecil" as, in his eyes, the Queen had no right to bestow titles.
And, in the course of the interview he boldly told Burghley that, if he was ever to celebrate Mass in his house, Burghley must definitely not attend unless he was fully reconciled to Rome.
Under the circumstances an uncompromising and bold statement to make.
Taken to Tyburn he continued to preach the truth from the scaffold, urging the Queen to repent and ask pardon of God.
He was then hanged, drawn and quartered and gained his martyr's crown 13th June 1573.
* The internet SQPN site has his date of death and feastday as 19th June but my little and very ancient martyrology has it at 13th.
BLESSED THOMAS WOODHOUSE - ORA PRO NOBIS
Blessed Thomas was apprehended whilst saying Holy Mass and thrown into London's grim Fleet Prison.
And then, when the Plague took grip on the capital, he was moved to the Cambridge house of Tyrrel, the Fleet Warder.
He was not a silent witness to the Faith, or, a silent guest.
He rebuked Tyrrel (knowing that he was an ex Catholic) for eating meat during Lent and told him that he would not stay under the same roof as him if he continued to do so.
When a Protestant grace was said at table, he refused to take part and, on one occasion, he was placed in the stocks for this act of rebellion and publicly abused.
Back in the Fleet Blessed Thomas continued with his practice of saying the Mass daily as well as The Divine Office.
He despatched letters to Lord Burghley (Queen Elizabeth's Chief Minister) asking him to repent and to counsel the Queen to join him.
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| "Mr Cecil" aka Lord Burghley |
When interviewed by Lord Burghley, Blessed Thomas refused to recognise his status and addressed him as "Mr Cecil" as, in his eyes, the Queen had no right to bestow titles.
And, in the course of the interview he boldly told Burghley that, if he was ever to celebrate Mass in his house, Burghley must definitely not attend unless he was fully reconciled to Rome.
Under the circumstances an uncompromising and bold statement to make.
Taken to Tyburn he continued to preach the truth from the scaffold, urging the Queen to repent and ask pardon of God.
He was then hanged, drawn and quartered and gained his martyr's crown 13th June 1573.
* The internet SQPN site has his date of death and feastday as 19th June but my little and very ancient martyrology has it at 13th.
BLESSED THOMAS WOODHOUSE - ORA PRO NOBIS
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