Saints celebrated on the 16th of July
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BLESSED JOHN SUGAR, PRIEST AND MARTYR
John Sugar was born at Womborn [Wombourn] in Staffordshire, of a noted family in those parts. He made a good proficiency in his grammar studies at home in his own country; and then was sent to Oxford to Merton College, where he went through his course of philosophy. And now he was upon the point of receiving his degree of bachelor of arts; but there was an oath first to be taken of the queen's supremacy, which he boggled at; and upon this quitted the university. Yet I do not find that he embraced forthwith the catholic religion; on the contrary, we are told, that for some time after he exercised the office of a minister at Cank, in his own country, and there held forth against the pope, and the catholic faith: but the Father of mercies did not suffer him to continue long in this way, but by his heavenly light opened the eyes of his soul to see the beauty of truth; and inflamed his heart with the love of it. Insomuch that he became a true convert, and a hearty penitent: and, forsaking all his worldly hopes, went abroad to Douay, to the English college: where, after two years spent in the study of divinity, he was made priest, and was sent upon the English mission, in 1601, to labour there in seeking after the lost sheep.
"After his coming into England", says my old manuscript, "he travelled afoot very much in Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire, to serve, help, and comfort the meaner and poorer sort of catholics, with the sacraments of the holy catholic church. He was in his life chaste and innocent; in conversation humble and mild; in helping the poor and distressed pitiful and charitable; in his diet very spare and temperate; and in prayer fervent and continual.
"In the first year of the reign of king James in England, Mr Bergoyne, a justice in the county of Warwick, on the 8th day of July, being Relick-Sunday, sent a warrant to search the house of a catholic, dwelling in Romington, for the apprehension of a seminary priest: and the searchers finding none there, went to search in the same town the house of Robert, Henry, and Ambrose Grissold (or Greswold), three unmarried brethren, catholics, for many years living and keeping house together: and in searching thereof, a constable called Richard Smith, and one Clement Grissold, nephew to the three aforesaid brethren, apprehended on the highway Mr Sugar for a seminary priest, as he was going with a catholic serving-man, nephew to the aforesaid three brethren, and cousin to the said Clement: who with the constable and one John Williams, brought both him and Mr Sugar to Mr Burgoyne the justice, who examined them and sent them to prison at Warwick: where they lay together a whole year, and suffered imprisonment.
"And at the assizes holden at Warwick, the 13th and 14th of July, in the second year of king James's reign in England, Mr Sugar was arraigned, and by judge Kingsmill condemned to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, for being a seminary priest. In the morning when he was to suffer death, he said to his friends that came to visit him, Be ye all merry; for we have not occasion of sorrow, but of joy: for although I shall have a sharp dinner, yet I trust in Jesus Christ I shall have a sweet supper. He also desired God to forgive the judge, and all his apprehenders and persecutors. As he was drawn on the hurdle to the place of his martyrdom, he gave money to fifty poor folks, and prayed very devoutly. An English minister at the gallows asked him, How he did believe? His answer was, I believe as my mother the catholic church doth. Then he demanded of the minister, Who it was that first converted our country, when it was called Britain, to the catholic religion? To whom the minister answered, I never heard this question asked before: but who converted it say you? Mr Sugar told him, that it was the successor of St Peter the apostle, viz. Pope Eleutherius, who sent Damianas and Fugatius, two learned and godly men, by whom Lucius, King of Britain, and his people received the true christian catholic faith and religion. But this new religion, said he, crept into this country in the time of king Henry the VIII.
"After this he was a good while on his knees, and prayed: and that being done he was stripped to his shirt, and going up the ladder, he said, I thank God, I can climb pretty well today. As he stood upon the ladder he very cheerfully said to the people: Be it known unto you, good people, that I come hither to die for my conscience. The under-sheriff answered, Thou diest not for thy conscience, but for treason. To which he replied, You do me wrong; there is none can touch me for treason: it is for conscience I die. Then a boy of about eighteen years of age put the rope about his neck. The martyr blessed the rope with the sign of the cross, saying, I came into the world with the sign of the cross; and with the sign of the cross, I go out of it again. - How dost thou prove that? said the under-sheriff'; for thou wast not born with the sign of the cross. - I make account, said Mr Sugar, that I was not in this world as a christian, till I was signed with the sign of the cross in baptism; for then I first received my spiritual birth. Afterwards the under-sheriff willed him to pray for the king. To whom he said, I never denied to pray for him; and thereupon he prayed thus: God bless the king, the queen, the young prince, and all the council: God forgive the judge, the justice Mr Burgoyne, and all that did apprehend me and you too (looking on the sheriff) as I would that God should forgive me. Then the hangman said, I pray you good father, forgive me too. - I forgive thee, boy, with all my heart, said he. Then looking on the people with a cheerful countenance, he said to them: Good people, I die willingly; for I shall get a place of joy, and I beseech Jesus to receive my soul: and I beseech all the company of angels, martyrs, and saints, to accompany my soul to that blessed place. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ: and I beseech God, that all that are here present may be partakers of that joy to which I am going. Then he desired our blessed Saviour to receive his soul, saying, Jesus, Jesus, receive my soul; unto which the people answered, Amen, Amen. Lastly, being asked if he was ready, viz. to die; he said, I am ready in Jesus. Thereupon he was turned off the ladder, and was cut down before he was fully dead; then was opened; his bowels were burnt; his head was cut off; his body was quartered; and his quarters were set upon the gates of Warwick.-
Thus he having willingly, cheerfully, and constantly suffered death for his priestly function, and for the profession of the catholic religion of Christ, hath thereby obtained a crown of eternal glory in heaven: for our Lord saith, (Apocalypse 2): Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." He suffered July 16th, 1604.
From Arnoldus Raissius, in his catalogue of the Douay Martyrs, printed in 1630. And from an old manuscript relation of their martyrdom, sent me from Warwickshire.
Source: Bishop Richard Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, Volume 2
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