Blessed James was one of the many martyrs under Bloody Queen Bess who killed far fewer Catholics than her father, Henry VIII, or her brother, Edward VII.
From Aleteia
By Br Silas Henderson, SDS
Martyr, Patron of Booksellers
Martyr (d. 1602)
His life
+ James was born in Gilfortrigs, Westmoreland, England and was raised as a Protestant.+ During his time as an apprentice book printer in London, he converted to the Catholic Faith after reading a book defending Catholic teachings, and he was imprisoned twice for refusing to attend Protestant services.
+ Around 1590 James married Anne Hart and their son, John, later became a Carthusian monk and recorded much of what we know about James, who helped support his family by secretly making vestments and altar linens for priests.
+ James remained committed to printing and disseminating Catholic books and was in and out of prison for the final years of his life. He was arrested for the last time on March 4, 1602, after having been found with 25 copies of a book by the Jesuit poet, priest and martyr Saint Robert Southwell.
+ Blessed James Duckett was executed at Tyburn, London, on April 19, 1602, and was beatified with other English martyrs in 1929.
For prayer and reflection
“See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, / upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death / and preserve them in spite of famine.”—Psalm 33:18-19
Spiritual bonus
On April 19, we remember Saint Apollonius. A priest in Alexandria, Egypt, he was martyred with five unnamed Christians during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian (early fourth century). He is among the saints depicted on the colonnade of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Prayer
Be mindful of our weakness, Almighty God, and because the burthen of our sins weighest heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of Blessed James, Thy Martyr, sustain us.
Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal: For One Martyr in Paschaltide)
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