Oops, #9 should have said: Tuesday.
St. Edmund Campion
Born January 24, 1540, in London, Edmund Campion was the son of a Catholic bookseller whose family converted to Anglicanism. The young boy planned to enter his father’s trade, but his brilliance and oratorical skill earned him an Oxford scholarship. There, Edmund came under the patronage of the Earl of Dudley, a court favorite of Elizabeth I. She offered Edmund a deaconate in the Church of England.
But Edmund had begun to feel drawn to Catholicism. He fled the country, joined the Jesuits, and was ordained a priest in 1578.
After several years, the Jesuits asked him to return to London as an underground priest. He entered the country disguised as a jewel merchant.
Before long his presence became known, especially when he published documents encouraging Catholic to remain steadfast in their faith. In 1581 he was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Brought to trial after torture on the rack, Edmund Campion was found guilty and on December 1, 1581, was hanged, drawn and quartered. Parts of his body were displayed at each of London’s four city gates.