A Benedictine Monk, Saint John Roberts was famous in his day for the courage he demonstrated in tending to plague victims among London’s poor. When he was executed for the “crime” of being at Catholic priest at Tyburn on December 10, 1610, a large group of the London poor attended. Having been sentenced to be hanged drawn and quartered, the angry crowd forced the authorities to forego the usual penalty of the victim being alive when he was drawn and quartered. When his head was cut off and shown to the crowd there was no traditional cry of God Save the King. The crowd met the demise of the Saint in sullen silence and mourning.
Saint of the Day Quote: Saint John Roberts
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 41 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.