vendredi 12 février 2016

Bienheureux JAMES FENN et ses compagnons, martyrs

James Fenn

Né à Montacute (Somerset), il avait été élève au collège Corpus Christi d’Oxford.

Marié, il était veuf avec deux enfants. On lui donnerait approximativement la quarantaine d’années ou un peu moins. Faisons-le naître vers 1549.

Condamné à mort pour avoir «comploté contre la Reine», il souffrit le martyre à Tyburn en même temps que lels prêtres George Haydock, Thomas Hemmerford, John Murden et John Nutter.
Juste avant le supplice, on avait enlevé à James tous ses vêtements, sauf sa chemise ; puis  au moment de tirer sur la corde de la pendaison, on lui retira aussi cette malheureuse chemise, de sorte qu’il se trouva entièrement nu, pendu, au regard de toute la foule, qui protesta hautement, raconte un témoin oculaire.

Puis, comme pour George et Thomas, on le remit sur pied encore vivant, pour l’éviscérer avant de l’écarteler, ce même 12 février 1584. 

Il fut béatifié en même temps que Thomas, et les deux John, en 1929.

Blessed James Fenn and Companions (AC)

Died 1584. A group of martyrs consisting of James Fenn, John Nutter, John Munden, and Thomas Hemerford, who were martyred at Tyburn, England, and beatified in 1929. While they died during the same persecution and were beatified at the same time, they are not included among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

James Fenn was born in Montacute near Yeovil, Somerset, and was educated at Corpus Christi College and Gloucester Hall at Oxford. He became a school master and married. Upon his wife's death, he studied in Rheims and was ordained to the priesthood in 1580.

John Nutter was born near Burnley, Lancastershire, and was a fellow of Saint John's College, Cambridge. He studied for the priesthood at Rheims and was ordained in 1581.

John Munden, a native of Coltley, South Maperton, Dorset, studied at New College, Oxford, became a school master, went to Rheims and to Rome for his ecclesiastical training and was ordained in 1582.

Thomas Hemerford, a native of Dorsetshire, was educated at Saint John's College and Hart Hall, Oxford. He studied for the priesthood at the English College in Rome, where he was ordained in 1583--just a year before his death (Benedictines).


Blessed James Fenn


Educated at Corpus Christi College and Gloucester Hall at Oxford University. Married layman and schoolmaster. Widower. He studied at Rheims, France, and was ordained in 1580. He returned to England to minister to covert Catholics in the area of Somerset. Arrested for his faith, he was convicted of treason when he remained loyal to Rome and refused to take the Oath of Supremacy. Martyr.