ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY
Saints celebrated on the 18th of February
BLESSED JOHN PIBUSH, PRIEST AND MARTYR
John Pibush was born at Thrisk, in Yorkshire, and performed his studies abroad, in the English college then residing at Rheims. Here he was made priest in 1587, and from hence was sent upon the English mission in 1589.
After some time he was apprehended, and committed to Gloucester jail, where he remained till some of the felons, having found means to break through the walls, and so make their escape, left a free passage open, through which Mr Pibush also, and the other prisoners, thought proper to walk out.
But, as he was very indifferent upon the matter, he took no care to hide himself, but, travelling on foot on the high road, was the next day again apprehended, and then was carried up to London.
Here he was brought upon his trial, and condemned merely on account of his priesthood; but suffered not till seven years after. During which time, he was kept prisoner in the King's-tench, and endured very much from the incommodity and unwholesomeness of the place, and the multitude of the prisoners penned up together, so that his constitution, which was naturally very robust, was so far altered, as to contract a most grievous infirmity, in which he would lie sometimes for many hours without sense or motion; insomuch, that when he was afterwards executed, his lungs were found so consumed, that he could not have lived much longer. But one of his chief sufferings in prison was, the continued ill usage he met with, for a long time, from the brutality of his fellow prisoners, who, not contented with loading him with abuses, reproaches, and injuries, sometimes threatened his life; more particularly when he would be admonishing and rebuking them for their blasphemies and other wickednesses. However, at length, his virtue and patience so far prevailed upon them, as well as upon the jailor, that they began to reverence and love him, and to compassionate his sufferings; insomuch that he was permitted to make himself a sort of separate cell in the common jail, where, by the help of some catholics who came to visit him, he sometimes said Mass, to the unspeakable comfort of his soul. His name was put in the list of those, who in the beginning of the last year, were to be sent from London to Wisbech castle; but it seems God was determined to honour him with a more glorious crown, for the lord chief justice Popham, when the list was brought to him, struck out Mr Pibush's name, no one knew why, nor wherefore.
The same lord chief justice, on the 17th of February, of this year, 1601, ordered Mr Pibush, who had been condemned about seven years before, to be brought to the bar, when nothing less was expected, and asked him what he had to say for himself, why he should not suffer death according to sentence? the confessor answered with great constancy and meekness, that he had never in his life committed anything for which he could be justly put to death that he had been condemned barely for being a catholic priest, and that he was willing to lay down many lives, if he had them, for such a cause.
Upon this he was ordered back to prison, and commanded to prepare for death. On the next day, being the 18th of February, he was drawn to St Thomas's Watering, and there was hanged, bowelled, and quartered. He suffered with a constancy worthy of a martyr. His execution is mentioned by Howes upon Stow, in his chronicle
From Dr Worthington's relation of sixteen martyrs, Chalcedon's Catalogue, and Dr Champney's manuscript history.
Source: Bishop Richard Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, Volume 1
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