AND THE WINNERS ARE

THANK YOU TO THOSE OF YOU WHO SHOWED AN INTEREST IN JOHN M A GRAY'S INFORMATIVE BOOKLET, "ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD", ON THE ARREST, TRIAL AND MARTYRDOM OF ST DAVID LEWIS. FOR AWHILE I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED BECAUSE NO ONE SEEMED INTERESTED. THEN, ON THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, THE ADDRESSES ROLLED IN!

THE TWO BOOKS GO TO CLARE, (CHECK OUT HER GREAT BLOG, BATTLEMENTS OF RUBIES) AND TO DAVID J. CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF YOU. I WILL MAIL YOUR BOOKS TOMORROW SO THEY SHOULD BE WITH YOU SOON. IF YOU DON'T RECEIVE THEM WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

A SINCERE THANK YOU TO JOHN M A GRAY WHO GENEROUSLY DONATED THE TWO COPIES OF HIS BOOK, "ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD".

WHAT'S LENT ALL ABOUT?

TWO BOOKS TO GIVE AWAY

In 1970, Pope Paul VI canonised Fr David Lewis S J, a Welsh martyr, as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Unfortunately, this great saint is little known outside his local area. Because I think he deserves to be more widely known and honoured, I started this blog to try and spread knowledge of and devotion to St David Lewis.

Over the years several books have been written about St David Lewis. However, they are now out of print and material on the saint is difficult to come by. In November of 2009, a booklet “ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD”, about the arrest, trial and martyrdom of St David Lewis, was launched at Llantarnam Abbey where the martyr frequently celebrated Holy Mass. This booklet was written by John M A Gray, a member of Friends of Saint David Lewis. I have two of John’s books to give away to the first two bloggers who trust me enough to leave their mailing address in the comments section of this post.

I HAVE ACTIVATED THE COMMENTS MODERATION FOR THIS POST SO ALL COMMENTS WILL BE PRIVATE! I WILL NOT PUBLISH THEM!

WHEN I HAVE MAILED THE BOOKS TO THE WINNERS, I WILL IMMEDIATELY DELETE THE ADDRESSES I HAVE RECEIVED! NONE WILL BE KEPT AND EVERYTHING WILL BE STRICTLY PRIVATE.

THE RULES ARE SIMPLE:

1) LEAVE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

2) THE FIRST TWO BLOGGERS TO LEAVE THEIR MAILING ADDRESS (IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE) WILL BE THE WINNERS OF THE BOOKS.

3) COMMENTS CAN BE LEFT FROM NOW, SUNDAY 21st FEBRUARY UNTIL SATURDAY 27th FEBRUARY.

4) AFTER 27th FEBRUARY, I WILL POST THE BLOGGER NAMES OF THE TWO WINNERS.

P S

THIS IS OPEN TO EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE. I WILL MAIL THE BOOKS TO ANY CONTINENT, SO GET YOUR ADDRESS IN NOW!

ST DAVID LEWIS AT ABERGAVENNY

As we continue our blogging trip in the footsteps of St David Lewis we come to Abergavenny. A pretty little market town, Abergavenny is the birthplace of St David Lewis and it has many associations with him. Today we will visit just a few of them and leave the rest until we can make a return blogging visit.

St David Lewis was born in Abergavenny in 1616. He was the son of a Catholic mother, Margaret Pritchard, and a Protestant father, Morgan Lewis. Whether through expediency or religious conviction, Morgan made certain that his son, David, was brought up as a Protestant. Strangely, Margaret and Morgan’s other eight children were brought up as Catholics! David, as a Protestant, would have been baptised in St Mary’s Priory Church and attended services there. The beautiful font in the Priory Church is thought to be the one in which David would have been baptised. While the base is more recent, the bowl, with its rope design decoration, dates from the 12th century. During restoration of the church in the late 1800s, this bowl was found buried in the churchyard. It is believed that it was buried there between 1649 and 1660. During those years, the Commonwealth period, neither the adherents of the Old Faith nor those who followed the new Established religion were having an easy time, nor was infant baptism permitted. As a young man, David spent some time in Paris. While there he converted to Catholicism. Around 1636, Morgan Lewis also converted to Catholicism.

David went to the English College in Rome, the training-ground of so many martyrs, and was ordained priest there on 20th July 1642. Following ordination, he decided to join the Society of Jesus. Eventually, Fr David Lewis S J, returned to his native Wales. Apart from a brief period in Rome, he spent the rest of his life ministering to the people of Monmouthshire. He would have traversed the Welsh hills and valleys on foot, and mostly under cover of darkness, to tend to the needs of the persecuted Catholics of the area. One of the places Fr Lewis was known to say Mass was at the home of Thomas Gunter, of Cross Street, Abergavenny, the Jesuit’s home town. Thomas Gunter and Fr David Lewis were relatives and Gunter had a secret chapel in his home. It was reported that more people attended Mass there in Gunter’s Chapel than went to the services at the Established church. In the early 1900s, during work on an old house in Cross Street, workmen discovered a secret room in the attic. On the walls were paintings and religious symbols, notably the Jesuit symbol, and an amazing fresco of the adoration of the Magi. The astonished workmen had stumbled upon Thomas Gunter’s secret attic chapel! The fresco was removed and, although in private hands for a number of years, it is now on display at Abergavenny Museum. The former Gunter Mansion, now a row of shops, is marked by a blue plaque stating that the Martyred Jesuit, St David Lewis, celebrated Mass in the secret chapel there.

During the anti-Catholic frenzy generated by the Popish Plot, fabricated by the lying Titus Oates, Catholics in general and Catholic priests in particular, were in even greater danger than usual. On 17th November 1678, armed dragoons arrived to arrest Fr David Lewis at Llantarnam. It was early on Sunday morning and the priest was preparing to celebrate Mass. He had been pursued by a false friend, John Arnold, and betrayed by a lapsed Catholic and former servant, William James. Fr Lewis was imprisoned in Monmouth Gaol until January 1679. He was then transferred to the new county Gaol at Usk. On 27th August 1679, Fr David Lewis was taken from Usk Gaol and executed for the crime of being a Catholic priest and saying Mass! He was canonised in October 1970 by Pope Paul VI.

The Catholic Church in Abergavenny possesses a small chalice which belonged to St David Lewis. They also have a fine collection of medieval vestments, some of which are thought to have been worn by the martyr.

ST DAVID LEWIS, PRAY FOR US.

IRENA SENDLER, A TRUE HERO

One hundred years ago today Irena Sendler was born in Warsaw. Her work in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II saved the lives of thousands of innocent children. If you have never heard of this courageous lady, please watch this video and see true love in action amid the horrors brought about by bigotry.

"REDEMPTORIST ROSARY"

This is a bit of self-indulgence (before Lent comes). This is a favourite hymn from my school days and I have not heard it for years and years. I am grateful to Smiley and his blog, 'Dies Irae'. I found this video because Smiley was kind enough to look for another hymn, 'O Queen of the Holy Rosary', for me. Thanks Smiley. I hope everyone enjoys this lovely hymn in honour of Our Lady.

THE VENERABLE ENGLISH COLLEGE (VIDEO)

I am very grateful to Stephen (THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS) for posting this very informative video. I am posting it too because St David Lewis was a student of The English College in Rome and one of its many martyrs. Thank you Stephen for bringing this to my attention. For information on martyrs, many of them modern ones, check out THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS, an excellent Blog.

ST DAVID LEWIS AT USK

Today, our blogging trip in the footsteps of St David Lewis takes us to Usk. Usk is a beautiful, peaceful little town but in 1679 it was the site of the Saint's imprisonment, and bloody martyrdom. On 27th August 1679, The Jesuit priest, Fr David Lewis, was dragged on a hurdle to the site of his execution. Earlier that year, at Monmouth Assizes, Fr Lewis had been condemned to be hanged, drawn and quartered. His crime? He was a Catholic priest! In those sad times of suspicion and fear, the harsh Penal Laws against Catholics deemed it High Treason to be a Catholic priest and to carry out the duties of a priest. Having been found guilty of being a priest, Fr Lewis received the usual sentence handed out to traitors. The photo below is of the river path along which Fr Lewis was taken to meet his death. He was tied to a hurdle, with his head at ground level, and dragged along the river path to a place known as the Island or the Coniger.

On a freezing cold and snowy 13th January 1679, St David Lewis was transferred from Monmouth Gaol to the new Prison at Usk (site pictured below). In March, Fr Lewis was returned to Monmouth to be tried at the Spring Assizes. Inevitably, he was found guilty and sent back to Usk Gaol to await his fate. In May the priest was again on the move. This time Fr Lewis, along with his cousin, the aged Fr John Kemble, was brought to London to be questioned by the infamous Titus Oates and his cronies. They tried to implicate him in the non existant Popish Plot but could not find anything against him. Lord Shaftsbury offered Fr Lewis his life and rich rewards if he would give evidence about the plot or renounce his Catholic Faith. St David Lewis stood firm and at his execution he declared "Discover a Plot I could not, for I knew of none, and conform I would not, because against my conscience it was ." He was again returned to Usk Gaol where he spent his final months.

On that awful day in August 1679, Fr David Lewis was martyred at Usk. The actual spot is believed to be within the grounds of what is now Porth-Y-Carne House, opposite the Catholic Church of St David Lewis and St Francis Xavier. A blue Usk Civic Society plaque marks the site. Such was the love and respect of the people for Fr Lewis, known affectionately in Welsh, as "Tad y Tlodion", "Father of the Poor", that the executioner ran away and no one could be found to carry out the execution. Eventually, a prisoner was bribed to do the the evil deed. Usually, the condemned man would be hanged, cut down alive, his body ripped open and his entrails torn out and burnt before his eyes. His body would then be quartered and sent to be displayed in various prominent positions as a warning to others. Fr Lewis was saved some of the agony because a Protestant man in the crowd held his hand and refused to allow him to be cut down until he was dead. Fr Lewis was then cut down, drawn, and his body dismembered but not quartered. It is recorded that many people in the crowd dipped cloths in the martyr's blood and some of the cloths survive today as precious relics of the holy martyr.

The Martyred Fr David Lewis was permitted a decent burial. He was reverently carried in procession to the Priory Church of St Mary (photo below) and interred in the Churchyard. His grave is the nearest one to the main entrance of the church.

In Penal Days, priests celebrated Holy Mass wherever they could - houses, barns or woods. After the execution of St David Lewis, a house in Usk where he used to say Mass was confiscated. The house today is a popular pub, known as The Cross Keys.

Fr David Lewis S J, was canonised in October 1970 by Pope Paul VI. Every year, on the Sunday nearest to 27th August, there is a pilgrimage to the grave of this holy Welsh priest, martyr and saint.

St David Lewis pray for us.

FIRE AT THE GUNTER MANSION

Yesterday's local newspapers carried the news of a fire in Abergavenny. The fire, which is believed to have started in an empty flat above an Indian Takeaway, sent flames shooting 12ft or more into the night sky. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the blaze. However, there is cause for concern as the fire has left the building, part of the 16th century Gunter Mansion, structurally unsound. It was in the Gunter home that Fr David Lewis and Fr Philip Evans regularly said Mass and ministered to the Catholics of Abergavenny and surrounding area. (Both priests were martyred in 1679.) It was common knowledge that Thomas Gunter had a secret Catholic Chapel in his home but its exact location had been lost to memory. In 1908, during renovations to the property, Gunter's secret chapel was discovered by surprised workmen. The above photo shows the Gunter Mansion, now divided into shops. The small, attic window in the gable in the foreground looks out onto Cross Street from the former chapel.

This strange looking photograph was taken from the back of the Gunter Mansion and clearly shows the remains of the lintel of the doorway. This doorway was the entrance to the secret chapel, which was entered via an outside staircase. It is exciting to be able to see, even just partly, this centuries old entrance and to picture in the mind's eye, those faithful Catholics who risked so much by adhering to their faith.

ST DAVID LEWIS AT LLANTARNAM

I think I might have jumped the gun a bit in my last post. I said now that the snow had gone we could get out and about again. When I got up the next morning, there was a light covering of snow on the ground! So, I am making no further comment on weather conditions! I will continue though with a blogging trip in the footsteps of our patron, St David Lewis.

In the time of St David Lewis (1616-1679) Penal Laws were in force and it was considered High Treason to be a Catholic priest and to say Mass. Priests risked being hanged, drawn and quartered, the usual punishment for treason, and Catholics who sheltered or helped them risked fines, imprisonment and, in some cases, even death. In Wales, the authorities, for the most part, were sympathetic to their Catholic neighbours, friends and families, and were somewhat lax in enforcing the laws. However, there were some, particularly John Arnold, an M P and Justice of the Peace, who were determined to stamp out Catholicism by making sure that the laws were rigidly enforced. The evil Titus Oates, with his fabricated Popish Plot, was a boon to men like Arnold, and the authorities, sympathetic or not, were forced to act.

Despite the dangers, there were many, up and down the country, who were willing to provide safe houses for priests and places where Catholics could gather for Mass and to receive the Sacraments. The Morgans of Llantarnam were one such family. They had a chapel in their home and Fr Lewis, who was a nephew of Lady Frances Morgan, lived there for a time, saying Mass and ministering to the Catholics of the area. In 1670 John Arnold and several others informed the House of Lords that "At Llantarnam, an eminent papist's house in Monmouthshire, there is a room fitted up chapelwise for saying of Mass where Fr David Lewis, a popish priest, hath said Mass for many years past". Today Llantarnam Abbey, pictured above, is a convent of the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy.

With the increased persecution brought about by the Popish Plot, Fr Lewis, not wishing to put the Morgans in danger, moved out of Llantarnam Abbey and into a cottage opposite. This cottage was next to the Blacksmith's Shop and it was here, on 17th November 1678, that the priest was arrested. It was early on a Sunday morning and Fr Lewis was about to celebrate Holy Mass when the arresting party, including armed dragoons, arrived. On 17th November 2007, a plaque was unveiled at the site of the arrest, now a private home.

Opposite the Blacksmith's Shop, and running beside the Church of St Michael and All Angels, is an ancient public footpath which leads to Llantarnam Abbey. This footpath is still in use. One wonders if the holy Jesuit walked this path on his way to say Mass. It is certainly very likely.

In November 2008, to commemorate the 330th Anniversary of the arrest of St David Lewis, a tree was blessed and planted in the little Garden of Remembrance at the site of the Saint's arrest at Llantarnam. A large group, led by Fr John Edwards S J, gathered to pray and give thanks for the life and example of Fr David Lewis.

At Llantarnam Abbey, where he once lived and worked, the memory of St David Lewis burns bright. His portrait hangs in a place of honour and the Sisters treasure a relic of the Martyr. Every November, the Abbey hosts a special day of remembrance in honour of St David Lewis. Watch your local press for notification of this event. (I know, I'm a bit early with the plug! I will remind you again next November!)

ST DAVID LEWIS, PRAY FOR US.