Shrines to Martyrs at St. Thomas of Canterbury
In the late Medieval period, St. Thomas of Canterbury was the most famous martyr of the Church—murdered by King Henry III’s knights to “rid him of that meddlesome priest.” Because of this, St. Thomas of Canterbury church has several shrines to martyrs. You can explore them below.
San Lorenzo Ruiz
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San Lorenzo Ruiz is the first canonized Filipino martyr; the liturgical feast of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions is celebrated on September 28.
Lorenzo was born in Manila of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, both Christians. Thus he learned Chinese and Tagalog from them, and Spanish from the Dominicans whom he served as altar boy and sacristan. He became a professional calligrapher, transcribing documents in beautiful penmanship. He was a full member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary under Dominican auspices. He married and had two sons and a daughter. Lorenzo's life took an abrupt turn when he was accused of murder. Nothing further is known except the statement of two Dominicans that “he was sought by the authorities on account of a homicide to which he was present or which was attributed to him.” At that time, three Dominican priests, Antonio Gonzalez, Guillermo Courtet, and Miguel de Aozaraza, were about to sail to Japan in spite of a violent persecution there. With them was a Japanese priest, Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz, and a layman named Lazaro, a leper. Lorenzo, having taken asylum with them, was allowed to accompany them. But only when they were at sea did he learn that they were going to Japan. They landed at Okinawa. Lorenzo could have gone on to Formosa, but, he reported, “I decided to stay with the Fathers, because the Spaniards would hang me there.” In Japan they were soon found out, arrested, and taken to Nagasaki. The site of wholesale bloodshed when the atomic bomb was dropped had known tragedy before. The 50,000 Catholics who once lived there were dispersed or killed by persecution. They were subjected to an unspeakable kind of torture: After huge quantities of water were forced down their throats, they were made to lie down. Long boards were placed on their stomachs and guards then stepped on the ends of the boards, forcing the water to spurt violently from mouth, nose and ears. The superior, Fr. Gonzalez, died after some days. Both Fr. Shiwozuka and Lazaro broke under torture, which included the insertion of bamboo needles under their fingernails. But both were brought back to courage by their companions. In Lorenzo’s moment of crisis, he asked the interpreter, “I would like to know if, by apostatizing, they will spare my life.” The interpreter was noncommittal, but in the ensuing hours Lorenzo felt his faith grow strong. He became bold, even audacious, with his interrogators. The five were put to death by being hanged upside down in pits. Boards fitted with semi-circular holes were fitted around their waists and stones put on top to increase the pressure. They were tightly bound, to slow circulation and prevent a speedy death. They were allowed to hang for three days. By that time Lorenzo and Lazaro were dead. Still alive, the three priests were then beheaded. In 1987, Pope John Paul II canonized these six and 10 others: Asians and Europeans, men and women, who spread the faith in the Philippines, Formosa, and Japan. |
The Martyrs of Vietnam
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The 117 Holy Martyrs of Vietnam were canonized on June 19, 1988, by Pope St. John Paul II. Their feast day is November 24, though some of the martyrs who were beatified before the group’s canonization have other memorials.
There were multiple persecutions in Vietnam, and the 117 Holy Martyrs gave their lives to Christ over the course of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
The 117 martyrs celebrated on November 24 (as the feast of St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions) also stand for between 100,000 and 300,000 martyrs in Vietnam; John Paul II canonized those whose names are known and unknown. The martyrs include foreign missionaries, lay people and clergy, including St. Andrew Dung-Lac. He was born in Vietnam 1795 and was baptized around age 12. He was ordained in 1823 and arrested multiple times before his eventual torture and martyrdom in Hanoi on December 21, 1839.
“Other waves of persecution followed Fr. Andrew’s death, just as they had preceded it,” the Vatican News site writes of St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions. “Indeed, the Vietnamese faithful were subjected to some of the cruelest forms of martyrdom in the history of Christianity … But the baptized members of the Body of Christ in the land of Vietnam knew the voice of their Shepherd too well to betray Him. What the rulers of the land did to wipe out the Church, the Spirit of God used to give the Church deep and lasting roots among the Vietnamese people. By the end of the 20th century, Catholics were estimated at 10% of the Vietnamese population.”
There were multiple persecutions in Vietnam, and the 117 Holy Martyrs gave their lives to Christ over the course of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
The 117 martyrs celebrated on November 24 (as the feast of St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions) also stand for between 100,000 and 300,000 martyrs in Vietnam; John Paul II canonized those whose names are known and unknown. The martyrs include foreign missionaries, lay people and clergy, including St. Andrew Dung-Lac. He was born in Vietnam 1795 and was baptized around age 12. He was ordained in 1823 and arrested multiple times before his eventual torture and martyrdom in Hanoi on December 21, 1839.
“Other waves of persecution followed Fr. Andrew’s death, just as they had preceded it,” the Vatican News site writes of St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions. “Indeed, the Vietnamese faithful were subjected to some of the cruelest forms of martyrdom in the history of Christianity … But the baptized members of the Body of Christ in the land of Vietnam knew the voice of their Shepherd too well to betray Him. What the rulers of the land did to wipe out the Church, the Spirit of God used to give the Church deep and lasting roots among the Vietnamese people. By the end of the 20th century, Catholics were estimated at 10% of the Vietnamese population.”
The Korean Martyrs
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The Korean Martyrs Shrine at St. Thomas of Canterbury depicts the 103 Korean Martyrs canonized by Pope St. John Paul II on May 6, 1984, in Seoul, South Korea. St. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean priest (ordained in Shanghai on August 17, 1845), is at the center, wearing a red stole.
In his homily for the canonization of the Korean Martyrs, the first canonization to take place outside of Rome since the Middle Ages, St. John Paul II pointed out the unique character of the Catholic Church in Korea, "a community unique in the history of the Church by reason of the fact that it was founded entirely by lay people."
"This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution," he said. "Thus, in less than a century, it could already boast of some ten thousand martyrs. The years 1791, 1801, 1827, 1839, 1846 and 1866 are forever signed with the holy blood of your Martyrs and engraved in your hearts.
"Even though the Christians in the first half century had only two priests from China to assist them, and these only for a time, they deepened their unity in Christ through prayer and fraternal love; they disregarded social classes and encouraged religious vocations. And they sought ever closer union with their Bishop in Peking and the Pope in faraway Rome."
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea maintains biographies of the 103 martyrs. Click here to learn more about the individual saints.
The original image of the Korean Martyrs is located at the Korean Martyrs Shrine at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Jeju Island, Korea, according to Mr. Frank Merced of St. Paul Chong Hasang Catholic Church in Harker Heights, Texas. It was painted to commemorate the canonization of the martyrs by St. John Paul II.
"While individual identifications of all the saints portrayed is impossible, some are identifiable. St. Andrew Kim Taegon is located in the center of the painting with St. Paul Chong Hasang immediately to the viewer's left," Mr. Merced said. "The Europeans in vestments are the French martyrs, both priests and bishops. All the rest are artistic representations of the martyrs."
In his homily for the canonization of the Korean Martyrs, the first canonization to take place outside of Rome since the Middle Ages, St. John Paul II pointed out the unique character of the Catholic Church in Korea, "a community unique in the history of the Church by reason of the fact that it was founded entirely by lay people."
"This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution," he said. "Thus, in less than a century, it could already boast of some ten thousand martyrs. The years 1791, 1801, 1827, 1839, 1846 and 1866 are forever signed with the holy blood of your Martyrs and engraved in your hearts.
"Even though the Christians in the first half century had only two priests from China to assist them, and these only for a time, they deepened their unity in Christ through prayer and fraternal love; they disregarded social classes and encouraged religious vocations. And they sought ever closer union with their Bishop in Peking and the Pope in faraway Rome."
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea maintains biographies of the 103 martyrs. Click here to learn more about the individual saints.
The original image of the Korean Martyrs is located at the Korean Martyrs Shrine at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Jeju Island, Korea, according to Mr. Frank Merced of St. Paul Chong Hasang Catholic Church in Harker Heights, Texas. It was painted to commemorate the canonization of the martyrs by St. John Paul II.
"While individual identifications of all the saints portrayed is impossible, some are identifiable. St. Andrew Kim Taegon is located in the center of the painting with St. Paul Chong Hasang immediately to the viewer's left," Mr. Merced said. "The Europeans in vestments are the French martyrs, both priests and bishops. All the rest are artistic representations of the martyrs."
Martyrs of Laos
The 17 martyrs of Laos gave their lives for Christ between 1954 and 1970 under the Pathet Lao Theravada Buddhist-communist political movement. They include 6 native Laotians, 5 Paris Foreign Missionaries and 6 Oblates of Mary Immaculate missionaries.
German Oblate of Mary Immaculate priest Fr. Thomas Klosterkamp is the postulator for the Laotian Martyrs’ cause for canonization, according to Vatican Radio. According to Fr. Klosterkamp, as of 2015, Catholics accounted for just 1.5% of the population in Laos.
Key for the Laotian Martyr Shrine (courtesy of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate):
German Oblate of Mary Immaculate priest Fr. Thomas Klosterkamp is the postulator for the Laotian Martyrs’ cause for canonization, according to Vatican Radio. According to Fr. Klosterkamp, as of 2015, Catholics accounted for just 1.5% of the population in Laos.
Key for the Laotian Martyr Shrine (courtesy of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate):
- Fr. Joseph Tien, a Laotian priest who was 35 years old when he was martyred on June 2, 1954.
- Fr. Jean-Baptiste Malo, M.E.P., a French missionary to China and Laos, who was also martyred in 1954.
- Fr. René Dubroux, M.E.P., a French missionary martyred in 1959.
- Catechist Paul Thoj Xyooj, who disappeared in 1960 on an apostolic trip to villages with Fr. Mario Borzaga. Paul Thoj Xyooj was the first Hmong missionary and martyr.
- Fr. Mario Borzaga, O.M.l., martyred with Paul Thoj Xyooj in 1960.
- Fr. Louis Leroy, O.M.I.
- Fr. Michel Coquelet, O.M.I.
Frs. Leroy and Coquelet were taken from their stations in the Province of Xieng Khouang and put to death, along with Fr. Vìncen tL’Hénoret, O.M.l., in April and May of 1961. - Catechist Joseph Outhay was martyred in Southern Laos in 1961, along with Fr. Noël Tenaud.
- Fr. Noël Tenaud, M.E.R., martyred in 1961 with Joseph Outhay.
- Fr. Vincent L’Hénoret, O.M.l., martyred in 1961 with Frs. Leroy and Coquelet.
- Fr. Marcel Denis, M.E.P., martyred in 1961 after a period of time being kept as prisoner.
- Fr. Jean Wauthier, O.M.l., an advocate for refugees who was killed in 1967.
- Thomas Khampheuane, martyred at age 16 in 1968. A pupil of Fr. Lucien Galan, with whom he died, he is the first Laven martyr (from the Boloven plateau in Laos).
- Fr. Lucien Galan, M.E.P., a missionary to China who was killed in an ambush with Thomas Khampheuane in 1968 while they were returning from the Boloven plateau.
- Fr. Joseph Boissel, O.M.l., martyred on his way to visit an isolated Christian community in 1969.
- Catechist Luc Sy
- Lay leader Maisam Pho Inpeng
Catechist Luc Sy was sent by his bishop to evangelize the Vang Vieng area in Laos, with lay leader Maisam Pho Inpeng. They were martyred on their way back from visiting catechumens in a distant village in January 1970.
Franciscan Martyrs
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Servant of God Casimir Cypher was martyred in Honduras in 1975.
From the Franciscans of Saint Bonaventure Province:
From the Franciscans of Saint Bonaventure Province:
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He was born in Medford, WI, in 1941. He entered the Conventual Franciscan Friars’ Minor Seminary in Crystal Lake, IL as a young man and was ordained a priest in 1968 (He was born Michael and given the religious name Casimir in the Franciscan Order).
After serving as a parish priest in Rockford, IL, and Hermosa Beach, CA, he received permission to fulfill his long-time dream: serving as a missionary. Arriving in Honduras in 1973, Friar Casimir lived and ministered in the remote, rugged state of Olancho—the “Wild West” of Honduras. A little more than a year later, he was caught up in violent unrest. Oppressed peasant farmers (or “Campesinos”) had been organizing land reform, angering the ruling military dictatorship and its wealthy, land-owning supporters. The Catholic Church supported this struggle for justice, leading to nation-wide persecution. The military searched retreat and catechetical centers throughout the country, seized radios, and arrested priests, religious, and laypeople working with the Church. On June 25, 1975, Fr. Casimir drove his pickup truck into the City of Juticalpa for repairs, unaware that the National Union of Campesinos had organized a demonstration that day for better implementation of land reform legislation. Hearing gunshots, Fr. Casimir ran toward the commotion. Knowing that he was a priest, soldiers arrested him. He was stripped in the town square, ridiculed, and beaten. Along with another priest, Fr. Ivan Betancort, two of Fr. Ivan’s companions, and ten Campesino leaders, Fr. Casimir was brutally tortured and executed. His body and those of the others killed with him were thrown into a deep well and dynamited in an attempt to cover up the massacre. He was only 34 years old. This night of diabolical violence is known in Honduras as the “Los Horcones” (or “Pitchforks,” after the name of the ranch on which the killings took place) massacre. A true son of St. Francis, his life was characterized by simplicity, personal poverty, and a good sense of humor. He painted, wrote poetry, and loved serving the poor and disadvantaged. May his example inspire us to love and serve Christ in the poor and marginalized! |
Blesseds Michael Tomaszek & Zbigniew Strzalkowsk were martyred in 1944.
From the Franciscans of Saint Bonaventure Province:
From the Franciscans of Saint Bonaventure Province:
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Polish. Martyrs of Peru. Missionaries who ministered to rural mountain villages in the Diocese of Chimbote and were greatly loved by the locals. Killed by ‘Shining Path’ terrorists because of their ministry and influence with the poorer members of society, preaching hope for a brighter future.
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The Martyrs of England and Wales
The Shrine to the Martyrs of England and Wales was created by Joe Malham of Trinity Icons.
The center of the Shrine is a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, who appeared in England to Lady Richeldis in 1061. A shrine was built on the spot and it became the center of Marian devotion in England—Thomas of Canterbury himself visited on many occasions.
As part of the Reformation, Henry VIII destroyed the shrine and statue. In 1897, Pope Leo XIII restored the shrine and had a statue made by the artists of Oberammergau, Germany, based upon images of the original statue.
Our statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, also from Oberammergau, is seated upon a shelf supported by two Augustinian friars—the religious Order that served the original Walsingham shrine. A tapestry of St. Margaret’s Brocade (a design of the Tudor period) hangs between the two friars.
Beneath Our Lady of Walsingham hangs a print by Daphne Pollen titled “The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales," commissioned as part of the celebration of the martyrs' canonization in 1970. Featured prominently at the center is St. Margaret Clitherow, who was pressed to death for hiding Catholic priests during the persecutions in England, which roughly spanned from 1535-1679.
On either side of “The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales” are original paintings by Joe Malham. To the right one finds a portrait of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, executed by Henry VIII. They have been described as the “Peter and Paul” of English Catholicism. To the left, one finds St. John Jones (+1598) and St. John Wall (+1678), the two Franciscan friars among the forty martyrs. They were hung, drawn and quartered.
Beneath the print and paintings, there is an altar with the risen lamb, bearing the flag of St. George.
The wall is painted red to represent the blood of the martyrs, and is adorned with gold Canterbury crosses. Above the shrine are the words “Martyres Anglia et Cambria”—Latin for the Martyrs of England and Wales.
The center of the Shrine is a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, who appeared in England to Lady Richeldis in 1061. A shrine was built on the spot and it became the center of Marian devotion in England—Thomas of Canterbury himself visited on many occasions.
As part of the Reformation, Henry VIII destroyed the shrine and statue. In 1897, Pope Leo XIII restored the shrine and had a statue made by the artists of Oberammergau, Germany, based upon images of the original statue.
Our statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, also from Oberammergau, is seated upon a shelf supported by two Augustinian friars—the religious Order that served the original Walsingham shrine. A tapestry of St. Margaret’s Brocade (a design of the Tudor period) hangs between the two friars.
Beneath Our Lady of Walsingham hangs a print by Daphne Pollen titled “The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales," commissioned as part of the celebration of the martyrs' canonization in 1970. Featured prominently at the center is St. Margaret Clitherow, who was pressed to death for hiding Catholic priests during the persecutions in England, which roughly spanned from 1535-1679.
On either side of “The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales” are original paintings by Joe Malham. To the right one finds a portrait of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, executed by Henry VIII. They have been described as the “Peter and Paul” of English Catholicism. To the left, one finds St. John Jones (+1598) and St. John Wall (+1678), the two Franciscan friars among the forty martyrs. They were hung, drawn and quartered.
Beneath the print and paintings, there is an altar with the risen lamb, bearing the flag of St. George.
The wall is painted red to represent the blood of the martyrs, and is adorned with gold Canterbury crosses. Above the shrine are the words “Martyres Anglia et Cambria”—Latin for the Martyrs of England and Wales.