Mementoes of the English Martyrs: For Every Day in the Year

The heroic testimony of the English martyrs you encounter in this outstanding collection of daily meditations will increase your piety and passion. A compelling short narrative from a martyr's life or a passage from one of their writings is featured every day. Their occasionally prophetic, always moving testimonies serve as poignant reminders of Catholic persecution throughout history.

The English martyrs' era began with Henry VIII's "Oath of Supremacy" and the destruction of monasteries, proceeded with Elizabeth's bloody forced conversion to Protestantism, and ended with the Puritan period's execution of Catholics merely for their Faith. You will find remarkable tales of bravery in the face of horrifying peril and cruelty in these pages that are becoming more and more relevant to our time, including the repercussions that laypeople faced for hiding priests.

You'll learn the following through the variety of stories that are presented:

These pages most effectively expose the thoughts and emotions of martyrs like Bl. William Hart, who penned moving letters to his Protestant mother and urged his spiritual followers to "Stand firm!"

You will learn about greater- and lesser-known warriors of the Faith who resisted inducements, withstood torture, and firmly refused to apostatize or betray friends, from well-known saints like John Fisher, the "saintly cardinal," to Thomas More, the civil lawyer and brilliant chancellor.

Take courage and insight from the great Catholics who gave their lives for Christ and His Church. Your heart will grow more appreciative of the Faith our forebears preserved for us more assured than ever of the truths we hold dear in the presence of such a cloud of witnesses.