Martyr (ca. 1550-1621)
His life
+ Francis was born to a noble family in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland.
+ As a young man, we moved to Dublin and married the granddaughter of the Lord Mayor of Dublin.
+ In 1595, Francis was elected Lord Mayor and was later elected to Parliament (although he refused to accept the post because it would mean accepting the tenets of the Church of England).
+ Francis was arrested in 1613, a victim of the persecution of Ireland’s Catholic citizens. He remained imprisoned until his death on January 29, 1621.
+ Blessed Francis Taylor was beatified with 16 other Irish martyrs in 1992.
For prayer and reflection
“This holy man fought to the death for the law of his God and did not fear the words of the godless, for he was built on solid rock.”—Entrance Antiphon for the Mass of One Martyr
Prayer
Almighty and merciful God, who brought your Martyr blessed Francis Taylor to overcome the torments of his passion, grant that we, who celebrate the day of his triumph, may remain invincible under your protection against the snares of the enemy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal: Common of Martyrs—For One Martyr)
Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.
And today we celebrate...