Skip to main content

BL. JOHN PIBUSH, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 18 FEBRUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY

Saints celebrated on the 18th of February

WELCOME!

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

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that we who know how courageously your holy martyr John confessed the faith, may experience his goodness as he intercedes for us with you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

WELCOME

  Please pick your saints: January - Saints by date  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17   18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30    31   February - Saints by date  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17 18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29 ...

ST LAURA OF CORDOBA, WIDOW AND MARTYR - 19 OCTOBER

  ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN OCTOBER Saints celebrated on the 19th of October WELCOME! SAINT LAURA OF CORDOBA, WIDOW AND MARTYR   Laura, a widow and martyr of  Cordoba  in Spain, is mentioned in the Spanish martyrology of Tamajode Salazar, who refers to Luitprand, where it says the following: St Laura is said to have been of a noble family, and  according to the wishes of her parents she married an equally noble man and gave birth to two daughters.  After the death of her husband and her daughters, she went to the monastery of St Aurea, named St-Maria de Cuteclara, and after her martyrdom led the same for nine years as her successor.  After she had made wonderful progress in all virtues, she was finally summoned to renounce the faith before a Saracen judge. But since she remained steadfast, she was first beaten very cruelly and then thrown into a bath of boiling pitch, where she remained in praise of God for three hours and then flew to heaven on October...

ST JOHN BERCHMANS, RELIGIOUS - 13 AUGUST

  ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST Saints celebrated on the 13th of August WELCOME! SAINT JOHN BERCHMANS, RELIGIOUS   (Patron Saint of Altar Servers.) The eldest boy of a poor cordwainer, in a small Belgian town, John was ever a dutiful, prayerful, and studious child. Our Lord called him when but young to leave his father and his father’s house, to serve Him in the Society of Jesus.  And because he was so good a son, it cost his father much to give him up to God; but he was too good a Christian to refuse outright.  HE WAS SENT TO ROME John had hardly taken his religious vows when he was sent to the centre of Christendom, the holy city of Rome. His modesty, his purity, shone out as great virtue always does; and the young laymen who attended the lectures would come to gaze upon his beautiful and holy face, and go away the better for the sight. GREAT VIRTUE Three short years, and his last sickness found him sighing for heaven, and three days before the great feast of Mar...