Cristy Li

St. Nicholas Owen (1550-1606)
Image Courtesy: Fr. Willie Doyle

(Franciscan Media) Born at Oxford the son of a carpenter, Nicholas became a carpenter and a brick mason–two of his brothers became Priests and another a Publisher of underground Catholic books according to SQPN.com Nicholas used his skills to save the lives of Priests in secret hiding places when Catholics were being persecuted, that went completely undetected by raiding parties.

Nicholas (sometimes using the pseudonym John Owen) worked with Saint Edmund Campion one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales, Owen’s short stature led to his nickname ‘Little John’ but he was big in the esteem of his fellow Jesuits.

When Fr. Edmund was Martyred for Jesus Christ, Nicholas spoke out against the atrocity and was imprisoned. Following his release from prison, Owen worked in service of the Jesuit Priest Henry Garnet and was admitted into the Society of Jesus as a Brother — In 1594 Owen was arrested again and tortured because of his faith, he was released after a wealthy Catholic family paid his fine, the Jailers believed that he was just some insignificant friend of some Priests according to Wikipedia afterward, Owen returned to his work constructing hiding places for Priests from anti-Catholic authorities.

In 1605 Brother Owen and three other Jesuits were forced into hiding in Hinlip Hall (which according to SQPN.com had some 13 hiding places) to escape the Priest hunters. Owen spent 4 days in one of his secret hiding places but having no food or water, he finally surrendered and was taken to the Tower of London and was there endlessly tortured for information on the underground network of Priests and their hiding places with ‘such inhuman ferocity’ that he became disemboweled and died.

Brother Owen was Beatified in 1929 by Pope Pius XI and was Canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI

Blessed John of Parma (1209-1289)
Image/Video: Catholic Online

(Franciscan Media) The Seventh Minister General of the Franciscan Order, John was known for his attempts to bring back the earlier spirit of the Order after the death of Saint Francis of Assisi.

As a young philosophy professor known for his devotion to God that John entered the Franciscan Order. After his profession, John was sent to Paris to complete his theological studies. After becoming ordained into the Priesthood, Fr. John was appointed to teach theology in his home country of Italy and he was first sent to Bologna, then to Naples before being going to Rome.

In 1245 Pope Innocent IV, called a General Counsel in France Lyon, Crescentius the Franciscan Minister General at the time, was ailing and unable to attend. In his place, Fr. John was sent and he made a deep impression on the Church leaders gathered. Two years later when Pope Innocent IV presided at the election of a ‘Minister General to the Franciscans’ he remembered Fr. John and held him up as the man best qualified for this office.

Fr. John in 1247 was subsequently elected as the ‘Minister General’ — the surviving disciples of St. Francis rejoiced in his election, expecting to return to the spirit of penury and humility of the early days of the Order and they were not disappointed.

As ‘Minister General’ Fr. John traveled on foot, accompanied by one or two companions, to practically all of the Franciscan convents in existence. Sometimes he would arrive and not be recognized, remaining there for a number of days to evaluate the true spirit of the Brothers.

The Holy Father called on Fr. John to serve as Legate (his personal representative) to Constantinople, where he was most successful of winning back the schismatic Greeks. Upon his return, Fr. John asked that someone else take his place to govern the Order of Franciscans. St. Bonaventure, at Fr. John’s urging was chosen to succeed him.

Fr. John subsequently, tool up a life of seclusion in Italy Greccio. Many years later, Fr. John learned that the Greeks who had been reconciled with the Church for a time, had relapsed in schism.

Though 80 yrs old by then, Fr. John received permission from Pope Nicholas IV, to return to the East in an effort to restore unity once again but on his way, Fr. John tool ill and died.

Fr. John was Beatified in 1777 by Pope Pius VI

Saint Maximilian (274-295)
Image: Vidas Santas

(Franciscan Media) Maximilian the son of Fabius Victor, a Roman Army Veteran according to Rev Alban Butler (1711-1773) Lives of the Saints Vol III  Maximilian was drafted into the military at the age of 21 but refused to swear allegiance to the Roman Emperor, serving in the military on the grounds of being a conscientious objector and was brought before Proconsul Dion, who advised him that he must serve or die.

Maximilian replied: “I will never serve. You can cut off my head but I will not be a soldier of this world for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the Army of God and I cannot fight for this world, I tell you, I am a Christian.”

Proconsul Dion replied: “There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers…”

Maximilian though continued to refuse to serve and at the age of 21 offered his life to God in lieu of military service and was beheaded in Numidia, an ancient Roman empire city which is now present day Algeria.