Saints celebrated on the 7th of July
BLESSED ROGER DICKENSON, PRIEST AND MARTYR
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| Colleges at the University of Douai, 16th century |
Roger Dickenson (Diconson, Dicconson, Dickinson), whom Ribadaneira calls de Kinsonio, from which, some have given him the name of Kinson, was born at Lincoln, and was an alumnus and priest of the English college, then residing at Rheims. He was ordained priest at Laon, in April, 1583, and sent upon the mission the 4th of May the same year. The particulars of his missionary labours, apprehension, and trial, I have not found; only, that he was condemned, merely on account of his priesthood, and suffered, as in cases of high treason, by hanging, drawing, and quartering, with a constancy worthy of the cause for which he died. He was executed at Winchester, July 7, 1591.
Ralph Milner, layman, suffered at the same time and place, for relieving the said Mr Dickenson. He was born at Flacsted, in Hampshire; and had a wife and eight children living at the time of his condemnation. The judge, as it were, out of pity, advised him to go but once to [protestant government] church, that by this condescension he might escape the ignominious death of the gallows, and live for the good of his family: but Mr Milner answered with true Christian fortitude, would your lordship then advise me, for the perishing trifles of this world, or for a wife and children, to lose my God? No, my lord, I cannot approve or embrace a counsel so disagreeable to the maxims of the gospel. He was executed, therefore, according to sentence; and suffered with extraordinary courage and constancy.
At the same assizes, were also condemned, seven maiden gentlewomen of good families, for having received Mr Dickenson into their houses to say Mass to them. But the judge, who thought they would be sufficiently terrified by the sentence of death, gave them a reprieve, and so ordered them back to prison; at which, they all burst out into tears, and begged that the sentence of death pronounced against them, might be put in execution; and that they might die, with their ghostly father and pastor; it being just, that as they had a share in his supposed guilt, so they should be also sharers in his punishment; adding withal, that they trusted in God, that he who had given them the grace to do what they had done, would also strengthen them to suffer death with courage and constancy for the holy catholic faith.
From the Douay Diary and catalogues, from Dr. Champney's manuscript, and from a relation sent over to England, recorded by father Ribadaneira, c. 7. + Septem nobiles virgines. Champney in MSS. Ribadaneira in Appendice, c. 7.
Source: Bishop Richard Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, Volume 1
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