6th Sunday of EasterOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | Mass(St Asaph)

He was a monk of the monastery at Llanelwy, founded by St Kentigern. He was consecrated bishop in 573, and the town of Llanelwy (as well as the diocese) is called St Asaph in his honour. See also the articles in Wikipedia and the Catholic Encyclopaedia.(Blessed Edmund Rice (1762 - 1844))

Saturday of the 5th week of EastertideOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | Mass(The English Martyrs)

On 4 May 1535, at Tyburn in London, there died three Carthusian monks, the first of many martyrs of the English Reformation. Of these martyrs, forty-two have been canonized, and a further 242 have been declared Blessed; but the true number of those who died on the scaffold, perished in prison, or were tortured or persecuted for their faith cannot now be reckoned. The persecution lasted a hundred and fifty years and left a permanent mark on English culture: to this day Catholics continue to suffer certain minor disabilities under English law.The martyrs celebrated today came from every walk of life. There were rich and poor; married and single; men and women. They are remembered for the example they gave of constancy in their faith and courage in the face of persecution.From 2001, there are also celebrated on this day the forty martyrs of England and Wales who were canonized on 25 October 1970 and formerly celebrated on that day. They include Saints Cuthbert Mayne, John Houghton, Edmund Campion, and Richard Gwynn, as well as Saints John Roberts and Ambrose Barlow from the Benedictine monastery of St Gregory at Douay (now at Downside Abbey in Somerset),See the comprehensive article in Wikipedia, which has links to the biographies of each saint.(Blessed Marie-Léonie Paradis (1840 - 1912))

Saints Philip and James, ApostlesOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | MassSaints Philip and James, Apostles

Philip was born at Bethsaida and started as a disciple of John the Baptist. After the Baptist’s death he followed Christ.James the son of Alphaeus is called “James the Less”, to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee. James “the brother of the Lord” ruled the Church at Jerusalem; wrote an epistle; led an austere life; and converted many Jews to the Faith. He was crowned with martyrdom in the year 62.Jerome held these two Jameses to be the same person, and this was certainly the prevailing opinion when the feast of Philip and James was instituted in 560. Nowadays scholars prefer to divide them, in which case we might think of today as being the feast of Philip and James and James.