Profile
John born to a strong Catholic Welsh family. He joined the Franciscans in Greenwich, England. When his monastery was dissolved in 1559, he traveled to France to study. He was ordained at Rheims, France.
John returned to England to work with Catholic prisoners at Marshalsea Prison in London. He was arrested for being a priest and imprisoned at Wisbech Castle, but escaped to the Continent. He lived for a while at Pontoise, France, and then the Ara Coeli Franciscan Observant house at Rome, Italy, then finally returning to England as a missionary in 1592. He worked in several places in the country, and was elected Franciscan provincial of England.
John was arrested and tortured by the priest-catcher Topcliffe in 1596. He was imprisoned for two years, doing time with Blessed John Rigby. He was convicted on 3 July 1598 for the treason of being a Catholic priest.
John’s execution took place early in the morning to reduce the chance of a mob; the executioner, roused out of bed for the job, forgot his ropes. During the delay, while he went for them, John preached to the crowd that had gathered, and explained he was being murdered for his faith, not any disloyalty to his country. He was one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
Born
- 1559 in Clynog-Fawr, Carnarvonshire, Wales
Died
- hanged, drawn, and quartered in the early morning of 12 July 1598 at Southwark, London, England
- body chopped to pieces and displayed on roadside poles as warnings to others
- body parts pulled down by local Catholics, at least one of whom was jailed for the offense
- surviving relics at Pontoise, France
Venerated
8 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI (decree of martyrdom)
Beatified
- 15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI
Canonized
- 25 October 1970 by Pope Paul VI
Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-john-jones/
