Saint Edmund Arrowsmith
Saint Edmund Arrowsmith (born August 26, 1585 AD in Haydock, Lancashire, England; died August 28, 1628 AD in Lancaster, Lancashire, England) was an English Jesuit priest and martyr executed during the reign of Charles I. He is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He is buried at Saint Oswald's Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield, where his preserved hand continues to draw pilgrims. He was beatified in 1929 and canonized in 1970. His feast day is October 25 (with the Forty Martyrs).
Stored in Cargo: Saint Edmund Arrowsmith
| Saint Edmund Arrowsmith | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | October 25 |
| Profession | Jesuit priest; missionary; martyr |
| Rel. Affiliation | Society of Jesus (Jesuits) |
| Patronage | Lancashire; England; Jesuit martyrs; Forty Martyrs of England and Wales |
| Attributes | Jesuit habit; ropes of martyrdom; Lancashire rose; hand relic |
| Birthplace | Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside (then Lancashire), England |
| Death Place | Lancaster, Lancashire, England |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; hanged, drawn, and quartered |
| Primary Shrine | Saint Oswald's Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan — his preserved hand; a major Lancashire pilgrimage site |
| Liturgical Class | Feast (with the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, October 25) |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Edmund Arrowsmith was born in 1585 at Haydock in Lancashire into a recusant Catholic family — a family that maintained the Catholic faith secretly during the Elizabethan and Jacobean persecutions. His parents suffered for their faith; his father was imprisoned for recusancy. Edmund was sent to the English College at Douai for his priestly formation and was ordained a priest in 1612.
He returned to England to serve the underground Catholic community of Lancashire. He entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1624. He was known for his zeal, his forthrightness, and his courage. He was arrested in 1628, tried at Lancaster on the sole charge of being a Catholic priest (sufficient for a capital charge under the penal laws), and condemned to death.
He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Lancaster on August 28, 1628. The crowd showed sympathy; it is recorded that he was allowed to pray and to address them before his execution. His body parts were displayed, but his hand was recovered by a Catholic family and preserved.
His hand is now kept in a reliquary at Saint Oswald's Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield, near Wigan. It has been associated with reported miracles of healing and remains a living pilgrimage site for Lancashire Catholics.
Pope Pius XI beatified him in 1929; Pope Paul VI included him among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales canonized on October 25, 1970.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside (then Lancashire), England
Death location: Lancaster, Lancashire, England
Notable location: Where his preserved hand is kept and venerated; a major Lancashire pilgrimage site; the hand has been claimed to be associated with miraculous healings (Saint Oswald's Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, England)
Notable location: Where he was tried and executed; the castle was the site of many Lancashire martyr executions (Lancaster Castle, Lancaster, England)
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Saint Oswald's Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan — his preserved hand relic; a major pilgrimage site.
Feast day
October 25
Veneration
Saint Edmund Arrowsmith is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church on October 25 (feast of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales). He is the patron of Lancashire.
Prayers
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