Optional Memorials

Optional Memorial of Father Philip Evans & Father John Lloyd. 24^th July

These two welsh priests were executed in Wales during the penal times for simply exercising their priestly ministry. Fr Philip Evans were born in Monmouth, Wales and studied for the priesthood in Liege, Belgium. It was forbidden to have seminaries in the United Kingdom and to practice the Catholic faith at times during the 16^th and 17^th centuries. The Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1791 and 1829 began the slow process of Catholic emancipation throughout the United Kingdom.

Father Evans was sent by his Jesuit superiors to minister in South Wales in 1675 and after three years of courageously and faithfully serving his people was arrested on the 4^th of December 1678.

Father John Lloyd was born in Breconshire, Wales and studied for the priesthood in Ghent, Belgium and then in the English College, Valladolid, Spain. He too was sent to work in Wales from 1654 and worked clandestinely for 24 years with covert Catholics. He was arrested and imprisoned on the 20^th of November 1678. Along with Fr Evans, he was brought to trial on the 5^thof May 1679.

Both priests were both found guilty of treason, for simply exercising their priesthood. Both were executed on the 22^nd of July 1679 at Pwllhalog, near Cardiff.

Pope St Paul VI canonised them along with these other 38 English and Welsh Martyrs on the 25 October 1970.

Saint John Almond ,Saint Edmund Arrowsmith,Saint Ambrose Barlow,Saint John Boste

Saint Alexander Briant, Saint Edmund Campion, Saint Margaret Clitherow,  Saint Thomas Garnet, Saint Edmund Gennings, Saint Richard Gwyn, Saint John Houghton, Saint Philip Howard, Saint John Jones, Saint John Kemble, Saint Luke Kirby, Saint Robert Lawrence

Saint David Lewis, Saint Anne Line, Saint Cuthbert Mayne, Saint Henry Morse, Saint Nicholas Owen, Saint John Payne, Saint Polydore Plasden, Saint John Plessington, Saint Richard Reynolds, Saint John Rigby, Saint John Roberts, Saint Alban Roe, Saint Ralph Sherwin

Saint Robert Southwell, Saint John Southworth, Saint John Stone, Saint John Wall

Saint Henry Walpole, Saint Margaret Ward, Saint Augustine Webster, Saint Swithun Wells

Saint Eustace White.

 

St Charbel Makhlouf Optional Memorial

St Charbel was born on the 8^th of May 1823 in Bekaa Kafra, Lebanon and was one of five children. As a young man, he was deeply religious and spent much time while looking after his family’s small flock, in prayer before an icon of Our Blessed Lady in a grotto.

In 1851 he entered the Monastery of Our Lady in Mayfouq, the Maronite Order and shortly afterwards transferred to St Maron Monastery in Annaya, near Beirut. After studying philosophy and theology he was ordained a priest on the 23^rd of July 1859 and returned to St Maron’s monastery.

After a period of time there, he was granted permission to live as a solitary hermit and did so for 23 years at the hermitage of St Peter and St Paul. Many people were attracted to him because of his immense holiness and his gifted counsel, the fruit of his love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He died on the 24^th of December 1898. Many miracles were attributed to him after his death after praying at his tomb.

He was canonised by Pope St Paul VI on the 9^th of October 1977.