St. Edmund Campion

Posted on December 1, 2018 by admin No comments

Born: 24 January 1540 London, Kingdom of England

Died: 1 December 1581 (aged 41) Tyburn, Kingdom of England

Venerated: in Catholic Church

Beatified: 9 December 1886, Rome by Pope Leo XIII

Canonized: 25 October 1970, Rome by Pope Paul VI

Feast: 1 December

Son of a Catholic bookseller named Edmund whose family converted to Anglicanism. The boy planned to enter his father’s trade, but earned a scholarship to Saint John’s College, Oxford under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth I’s court favorite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Sought after speaker. Queen Elizabeth offered him a deaconate in the Church of England. He declined the offer, fled to the continent, and joined the Jesuits. Ordained in 1578.

He spent some time working in Bohemia, then returned to London,England as part of a Jesuit mission, crossing the Channel disguised as a jewel merchant. Edmund worked with Jesuit brother Saint Nicholas Owen. In London he wrote a description of his new mission in which he explained his work was religious, not political; it became known as Campion’s Brag. Widely distributed, it encouraged many Catholics to remain loyal to their faith. It also led to Edmund’s arrest, imprisonment and torture in the Tower of London, and martyrdom.

Prayer to St. Edmund Campion

St Edmund Campion, martyr for the Roman Primacy, obtain for us, but especially for the Church’s bishops and priests, such obedient loyalty to the Vicar of Christ that like you, they will not be afraid to proclaim the truth and like you, they will be willing to shed their blood for Jesus Christ.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Morning Offering Prayer of St. Edmund
O Lord, into Your hands and into the hands of Your holy angels, this day I entrust my soul, my relatives, my benefactors, my friends and enemies, and all Your Catholic people.

O Lord, by the merits and prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all Your saints, keep us today from all evil and unruly desires, from all sins and temptations of the devil, from a sudden and unprovided death, and from the pains of hell.

Enlighten my heart with the grace of Your Holy Spirit. Grant that I may ever be obedient to Your commandments. Let me never be separated from You, O Jesus, who live and reign with God the Father and the same Holy Spirit forever.
Amen.