ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN APRIL
Saints celebrated on the 20th of April
BLESSED FRANCIS PAGE, PRIEST AND MARTYR
Francis Page, S.J., was born, according to the bishop of Chalcedon's catalogue, of a gentleman's family, at Harrow on the Hill, in the county of Middlesex; or as some others say, at Antwerp; which it seems, he pleaded at his trial, but was not regarded. He was brought up in the protestant religion, and to the study of the law; and was. for some time, clerk to a noted lawyer in town. Here he fell in love with a young gentle-woman, a catholic; and partly upon her account, partly by the persuasion of a catholic companion, was induced to make a more serious inquiry into matters of religion. His friend brought him to Father Gerard Thomson, his own confessor, who gave him full satisfaction in his doubts, and reconciled him to the church.
But this was not all; Mr Page not only become a catholic, but, by degrees, was quite weaned from earthly affections, and his heart was set upon better things; so that Father Gerard being, not long after, apprehended, and committed close prisoner to the Tower, Mr Page, renouncing the advantageous match, of which he had so near a prospect, resolved upon a more perfect state of life; and going over to Douay, there entered himself an alumnus in the English college of the secular clergy; and after having employed some time, in this seminary of martyrs, in the study of divinity, and in the practice of all christian virtues, he was, by his superiors, presented to holy orders, and ordained priest; and, not long after, was sent upon the English mission, viz: June the 10th, 1600.
He had not been long in England, when he narrowly escaped the pursuivant's hands, in the house of Mrs Line; when, he being at the altar in his vestments, on Candlemas-day, they broke into the house, as we have seen in the account of that holy widow. However, as his time was not yet come, he made a shift to unvest himself, before they could come into the chamber, where he was; and to step aside to a private place, where they could not find him.
After this escape he diligently applied himself to his missionary functions, till he was apprehended in the following manner: going out one night to the duties of his calling, he perceived a woman coming after him whom he knew; who had for some time professed herself a catholic, but now made it her business, for the sake of a little lucre, to betray, and take up priests. The sight of this woman, made him mend his pace; but she knowing him, made no less haste after him; calling out, Mr Page, I want to speak to you.
He would not seem to hear her, but stepped into the first open house, and shutting the door after him, desired the master of the house, who was a protestant, to let him out by a back door: which he was going to do, when, this wicked woman coming up, knocked violently at the door, crying out, a traitor, a traitor, a seminary priest; and raised a mob about the door, so that the man of the house, being afraid of the consequences, would not suffer Mr Page to go further, but delivered him up into the hands of the constables.
He was carried before the lord chief justice Popham, a cruel enemy of the catholics; the same, as before condemned Mrs Line: who, understanding that this was the priest who had escaped from that widow's house, after having examined him, sent him to Newgate, where he was put down into Limbo; and, at the next sessions, which came on within a few days, he was brought to the bar, together with Mr Tichburn and Mr Watkinson; and with them, condemned, barely upon account of his priesthood, by the same lord chief justice Popham.
There was, at that same time, in Newgate, one Mr Henry Floyd, a priest, who, when Mr Page was brought back to prison, after his condemnation, falling upon his knees, testified the greatness of his grief by the tears, which plentifully flowed from him; Mr Page, lifting him up, spoke to him in this manner; what is the meaning of this, sir? do you weep at my condition, which is most happy! you ought rather to rejoice, and congratulate with me, for so happy a lot, which opens to me a way to eternal bliss - and so great was the joy, that Mr Page found in himself, at the approach of his martyrdom, that, after having made a general confession of his whole life, to the same Mr Floyd, and assisted at his Mass, he was in a doubt, whether he should venture to celebrate Mass himself, for fear that he should not be able to contain himself during the sacred mysteries, from discovering the extraordinary motions of his heart, by such outward gestures and words, as would be taken notice of, and be heard by the other prisoners, and by the keepers.
The day before execution, the keeper desired Mr Floyd to acquaint Mr Page, that he was to die on the morrow; adding, that, for his own part, he could not endure to be the bearer of such tidings. Mr Page received this message, as coming from heaven; and having obtained leave of the keeper, to stay that day and night with Mr Floyd, and having celebrated with him, the tremendous mysteries, with wonderful sentiments of joy and devotion; he declared to this holy man, some part of the favours which God was pleased to show him that night, which had filled his soul with such wonderful lights, and so high a knowledge of the divine greatness, as he could never have obtained by books, or study; so that he thought nothing could ever more separate him from the love of so great a Lord.
But that he might, experimentally know, that these extraordinary sentiments of devotion, are a gratuit gift of God, which he gives, and takes away, where he pleases; and that he might have some experience also, of the great anguish and agony of Mount Olivet, as well as of the sweets of Mount Tabor: he was, all on a sudden, deprived of these extraordinary gusts, and of all manner of sensible devotion; and, like his Saviour in the garden of Gethsemane, became sad and sorrowful, even unto death; so that in this extremity of fear, grief, and anguish, he earnestly desired Mr Floyd's prayers; showing, by the paleness of his countenance, and other outward signs, the inward conflicts of his soul. This storm continued, till the sheriff sent to him, to prepare himself for execution, for that the hour was now drawing on, which message, in a moment, restored a calm to his soul, and filled him with a new joy; so that he went out to meet death with as much cheerfulness, as if he was going to a feast.
When he came forth to the hurdle, which was prepared for him, seeing a vast crowd of people, who were come thither to accompany him to Tyburn, he took that occasion to declare to them, with a loud voice, the sanctity of the catholic faith, and the necessity of holding this faith, in order to eternal salvation.
Then, he laid himself down upon the hurdle; and, whilst he was tied down upon it, as well as during the whole way to Tyburn, he employed his soul in prayer. When he was taken off the hurdle, and put into the cart, a minister offered to trouble him with some questions about religion; but the confessor of Christ would not hearken to him. But, after having made a profession of his faith, he declared he was most willing to die for so good a cause, viz: for his faith, and priesthood, and for aiding and assisting by his priestly functions, the souls of his neighbours. He also, upon that occasion, declared, the promise, or vow, that he had lately made, to enter into the Society of Jesus, as father Moor, expresses it; or that he was a novice of that Society, as Tannerus words it. And at the pronouncing of that holy name of Jesus, the cart was drawn away, and he hanged till he expired. He was afterwards cut down, bowelled, and quartered. He suffered, April 20, 1602.
From the Douay Diary, and from father Moor's history of the English province of the Society of Jesus.
1603. In the beginning of this year, one bishop of Ireland, four fathers of the Society of Jesus, sixteen other priests, and four catholic laymen, prisoners in Framingham castle, were transported into perpetual banishment. The names of the four Jesuits were: Christopher Holiwood, Roger Floyd, Edward Coffin, and Ralph Brickly. The sixteen priests of the secular clergy were: Lewis Barlow, (the first missioner from the seminaries,) Edward Hughes, Christopher Driland, Leonard Hide, Robert Woodruff, William Chaddock, Thomas Haberley, William Clarjenet, Francis Robinson, Thomas Thursley, (these ten went to Douay, to visit their old mother-house, and made some stay there,) Thomas Bramston, John Colton, N. Tillotson, John Gray, Robert Barns, and N. Knight. This same year, also, were banished Father William Weston, S. J. after many years imprisonment. Father John Roberts, O. S. B., Father Andrew Bayly, O. S. B., Father Bennet Canfield, O. Cap. Mr Anthony Wright, and Mr James West, priests.
Sponsionem professus qua se nuper Societati Jesu devoverat. Morus Historia Societ. Provincie Anglicante. Se Societatis Jesu Novitium palam professus. Tannerus, Histori. Martyrum Societatis. Prague, 1675, in Pagio.
Source: Bishop Richard Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, Volume 1
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