Saints

Priest and martyr. John Southworth was born in 1592 in Lancashire. He went overseas to study and was ordained in Douai in 1618. St John returned to England in 1627 and was soon arrested. He spent three years in prison - the first of several imprisonments. Most of his priestly work was carried out in Westminster. He was much loved for his ministry to the sick and dying, especially during the pl... Read More

Martyrs. According to legend, these two Christian brothers were prosperous army officers in the court of Constantia, daughter of the Emperor Constantius, around the middle of the fourth century. They took part in a victorious campaign against the Scythians with General Gallicanus. Their fortunes took a turn for the worse when the Emperor Julian began to persecute Christians. They resigned from t... Read More

Bishop and Martyr. Born around 130 AD, Irenaeus of Lyons was bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, (now Lyons) in France. His writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology. He was a disciple of Polycarp of Smyrna, who himself was a disciple of the Apostle John the Theologian. Irenaeus is thought to have been a Greek from Smyrna in Asia Minor, now Izmir, Turkey. He was brought up ... Read More