The Joy of the Martyrs

Dear Friends and Family,

This past week I had the wonderful blessing of my parents' presence. They were able to join me for Catechism--and a fun game of soccer (football for you Europeans!) with some of the children--dinner, rosary, a visit to Auntie Rhoda, who will be 100 years old in a week, and then a pilgrimage to some sites of the English martyrs in London.

"Auntie Rhoda" who lives in the village and who will turn 100 next week. She spent her life as a housekeeper for Anglican Vicars. Please pray that she might become a Catholic!

Some highlights of the trip to London were the chance to pray at the Tyburn Convent, where 105 Catholics were martyred in the 16th and 17th centuries, after cruel tortures and questionings. A convent of nuns there maintains perpetual adoration and gives tours of the impressive collection of relics kept in the crypt. The nun giving us our tour is just beginning her novitiate, and spoke movingly of what the martyrs went through for the holy Faith. Though some of the stories are rather gruesome, I found it quite uplifting to contemplate the joy, peace, and courage that God granted to them during those trials. What a gift to have such friends and heavenly intercessors! How great is God's grace and mercy to grant such gifts to weak men!

After visiting the convent, we walked to the actual site of their martyrdom, which is now in the midst of a traffic circle, with a commemorative marking as pictured below:

The "Tyburn Tree" was a triangular scaffold so large that 8 men at a time could be hung on each of the three sides...

We then visited the Tower of London, where it was moving to see the engravings that martyrs had carved in stone during their captivity: a beautiful image of the Sacred Heart, moving engravings of devotional words, professions of faith. We also saw the instruments of torture used on them. Really impressive that God gave them the grace to resist courageously all of that.

I then caught the metro to Paddington Station, with plenty of time to catch my train until... the metro came to an abrupt halt and it was announced that it would be stopped for an indefinite time and that we should seek alternative transportation. I flagged down an uber who spent the next 45 minutes dodging the London traffic in the hope of making my 3:03 PM train. Somehow, he managed to beat the clock and get me within a few hundred yards of the station at 2:58 PM. Hopping out of the car and running with my luggage to the station I reached the main entrance at 2:59. Now to find the platform... As I scanned the board the clock struck 3:00. Locating platform 4 I ran toward it and hopped aboard the train... 1 minute before it left the station.

A good number of Memorare's were prayed during the journey and I'm most grateful to Our Lady for getting me there on time.

May God grant you a blessed week. Please pray for me this Saturday as I offer Mass for a Latin Mass Society pilgrimage to the site of the Chideock Martyrs in our diocese.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari