Today’s Readings – Saints Edmund Campion SJ and Companions, Priests and Martyrs

Today’s feast commemorates 10 saints and 18 blesseds, all Jesuits of England or Wales, who were martyred on their native soil between 1573 and 1679, a time of fierce persecution of the Catholic Church. Two of the best known in the group are Edmund Campion and Robert Southwell (whose feast is now celebrated on 21 Feb).

Edmund Campion was born in London, England, on 24 January, 1540, the son of a bookseller. His Catholic parents later became Protestant. Campion received his early education at Christ’s Hospital. As the best of London’s scholars, he was chosen to represent them in making a laudatory oration when Queen Mary visited the city. He won a scholarship to St John’s College in Oxford University, where he became a Junior Fellow in 1557. In 1564, on graduating, he took the Oat … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – Saint Andrew, Apostle

Andrew was the son of Jonas, the brother of Simon Peter, and a fisherman by trade. The brothers seem to have come from Bethsaida, although at the beginning of Jesus’ public life they are in Capernaum.

From John’s Gospel (John 1:40) we know that Andrew was a disciple of John the Bap … Continue