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Polydore Plasden? Martyr and Saint

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Many are likely familiar with the martyrs Saint Thomas More and Saint Edmund Campion. Here is a brief account of one of the lesser known faithful Catholics who chose martyrdom over surrendering to the reign of terror of the Tudor state.

Saint Polydore Plasden, S.J. (1563–1591) was born in London. He trained for the priesthood at Rheims and Rome. Ordained in 1586, he returned to England shortly afterward.

The situation for Catholics in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I was grim. Catholicism was heavily suppressed. Catholic priests were prohibited by law from performing their ministry. Despite the dangers, Polydore remained committed to upholding the Catholic faith and providing spiritual guidance to those in need. He often celebrated Mass in secret and worked tirelessly to support the faithful during these challenging times.

On November 2, 1591, Polydore was captured by the notorious priest hunter Richard Topcliffe, infamous for his ruthless methods of extracting confessions, methods approved by the Queen. The arrest took place at Swithun Wells's house on Gray's Inn Lane, a sanctuary for recusants, during a Mass being celebrated by Edmund Gennings. On December 6, alongside Gennings and Eustace White (priests) and Sydney Hodgson, Swithun Wells, and John Mason (laymen), he was tried before the King's Bench and condemned for entering England in violation of the Jesuits, etc. Act of 1584.

At his execution on December 10, 1591, Plasden acknowledged Elizabeth as his lawful queen, vowing to defend her against all enemies to the best of his ability. He prayed for her and the entire realm but stated he would rather forfeit his life a thousand times over rather than deny his religion. Though sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, Sir Walter Raleigh ordered that he be allowed to hang until dead to spare him the subsequent suffering.

Polydor was beatified in 1929 and canonized in 1970 by Pope Saint Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

What can we learn from this account?

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