Blessed John Rochester
Blessed John Rochester (born c. 1498 AD in Terling, Essex, England; died May 11, 1537 AD in York, England) was an English Carthusian monk of the London Charterhouse who was martyred under King Henry VIII for refusing to acknowledge the king's supremacy over the Church. He was hanged at York together with his fellow Carthusian Blessed James Walworth and is honored among the English Martyrs. His feast day is May 11.
A monk of the London Charterhouse, John Rochester was among the Carthusians who resisted the Act of Supremacy. Removed to the north of England, he and his companion were condemned and executed at York. He was beatified in 1886.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed John Rochester
| Blessed John Rochester | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | May 11 |
| Profession | Carthusian monk |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Carthusian Order; English Martyrs |
| Patronage | Carthusians; those who resist unjust demands of the state; England |
| Attributes | Carthusian habit; palm of martyrdom; hangman's rope |
| Birthplace | Terling, Essex, England |
| Death Place | York, England |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; hanged at York under King Henry VIII for refusing to accept the royal supremacy over the Church; Carthusian monk of the London Charterhouse |
| Primary Shrine | York, England |
Biography
John Rochester was born about 1498 at Terling in Essex, England. He became a monk of the Carthusian Order at the London Charterhouse, a community renowned for the strictness and holiness of its life.
When King Henry VIII, in his breach with Rome, required his subjects to acknowledge him as Supreme Head of the Church in England by the Act of Supremacy, the Carthusians of London refused. Their prior, Saint John Houghton, and other members of the community were among the first martyrs of the persecution, and the house suffered greatly.
John Rochester was among the monks who would not submit. With his fellow Carthusian Blessed James Walworth, he was removed from London to the north of England, where they were brought before the authorities. Refusing to deny the spiritual authority of the pope and to accept the royal supremacy, the two monks were condemned to death.
On May 11, 1537, John Rochester was hanged at York, dying a martyr for the unity of the Church and the primacy of the Holy See. He was beatified on December 9, 1886, by Pope Leo XIII, among the English Martyrs. His feast is kept on May 11.
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Feast day
May 11
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