Blessed John Felton - August 8th
When Pope St. Pius V put Queen Elizabeth I out of the Church because she said she was the head of the Church in England, John Felton fastened the Pope’s announcement right up on a door for everyone to see. Before long, it was discovered who had done that and John was arrested. When he declared that only the Holy Father could be Head of the Catholic Church, he was condemned to death.
Right in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, the scaffold was set up. When John saw the horrible instruments that would be used on his body before his death, he had a terrible fit of fear. But with a mighty effort of will, he overcame that fear, and said: “Now I am ready to die for the Catholic faith!”
Then he knelt down and prayed to God to have mercy on his soul. He was hanged, but cut down from the scaffold before he died. So he was still alive when they began to use the terrible tools on his body. As they pulled his heart out, Blessed John’s daughter heard him murmur: “Jesus, Jesus!”
Eighteen years later, the martyr’s son, Blessed Thomas Felton, followed in his brave father’s footsteps and died for the Faith, too.
We should love our Faith intensely and when the occasion presents itself, we should profess it openly.
