MEMORIAL OF SAINT FLORIAN, MARTYR AND THE FORTY MARTYRS OF ENGLAND AND WALES ~ FEAST DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Florian, Martyr (He is invoked against danger from fire or water) and The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Florian and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all Firefighters and all those who are faced with life threatening situations, we pray for their protection, safety and well-being. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and Saints Philip and James, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are terminally ill. We pray for all Pharmacists, for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, for all Christians, for the poor and needy and for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and all over the world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle souls of our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. For all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. For vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for the youths, for persecuted christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners and Christians all over the world. Amen 🙏🏽
SAINT FLORIAN, MARTYR: St. Florian (C. 250-304 A.D.) was born in the third century in what is present day Austria. He became a commander in the Roman army. One of his duties was leading the firefighting brigade. St. Florian was a Christian during a time of persecution of Christians. He served during the reign of Emperor Diocletian about 304, who violently persecuted Christians. St. Florian was secretly a Christian and was known for miraculously saving a town from being destroyed by fire; after praying to God for help, he extinguished a raging fire with a single bucket of water. Word reached the Emperor that Florian was not enforcing the ban against Christianity in his territory. He was put under investigation and was discovered to be a Christian.
St. Florian refused to participate in the persecutions the army was ordered to do. He also refused to offer sacrifices to the Roman gods. He was then condemned to be tortured and executed for his Christian faith. When Florian’s beliefs became known it was suggested that he be burned to death as many Christians were during that time. St. Florian stated that he would climb to Heaven on the flames of the funeral pyre which was made for him. The soldiers then decided to use a different method to execute him. Refusing to recant, St. Florian was then flogged and flayed alive, scourged, and martyred. A large stone was tied around his neck and he was set on fire before being thrown into the Ennis River to drown. His body was later recovered, and brought to the Augustinian Abbey of St. Florian near Linz. Later, the body was transferred to Rome. In 1138, Pope Lucius III gave some of the Saint’s relics to King Casimir of Poland and to the Bishop of Krakow. Today his relics are venerated at a church named for him in Kraków, Poland. Devotion to this Saint grew throughout Central Europe. Many miracles of healing are attributed to his intercession, and he is invoked against danger from fire or water. He’s the Patron Saint of Firefighters, brewers, Chimney Sweeps, Soap boilers, protector from fire, floods, battles, drowning victims, Upper Austria, Linz, Austria; Kraków, Poland, Chimneysweeps.
PRAYER: God of power and mercy, through Your help St. Florian has overcome the tortures of his passion. Help us who celebrate his triumph to remain victorious over the wiles of our enemies…Amen 🙏🏽
Prayer to Saint Florian for Firefighters (Recited for Firefighters)
Oh, Almighty God, whose great power and eternal wisdom embraces the universe, watch over all Firefighters. Protect them from harm in the performance of their duty to fight fire, save lives, and preserve property. We pray, help them to keep our homes and all buildings safe day and night. We recommend them to Your loving care because their duty is dangerous. Grant them Your unending strength and courage in their daily assignments. Dear God, protect these brave persons. Grant them Your Almighty protection and unite them safely with their families after duty has ended… Amen 🙏🏽
THE FORTY MARTYRS OF ENGLAND AND WALES: The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales are a group of Catholic, lay and religious, men and women, executed between 1535 and 1679 for treason and related offences under various laws enacted by Parliament during the English Reformation. The individuals listed range from Carthusian monks who in 1535 declined to accept Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy, to seminary priests who were caught up in the alleged Popish Plot against Charles II in 1679. Many were sentenced to death at show trials, or with no trial at all. They are to be differentiated from the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Fifty-four were beatified in 1886; nine were beatified in 1895; and 137 more received beatification in 1929. The first wave of executions came with the reign of King Henry VIII and involved persons who did not support the 1534 Act of Supremacy and dissolution of the monasteries. Carthusian John Houghton and Bridgettine Richard Reynolds died at this time. In 1570 Pope Pius V, in support of various rebellions in England and Ireland, excommunicated Queen Elizabeth, absolving her Catholic subjects of their allegiance to her. The crown responded with more rigorous enforcement of various penal laws already enacted and passed new ones. The made it high treason to affirm that the queen ought not to enjoy the Crown, or to declare her to be a heretic. “An act against Jesuits, seminary priests, and such other like disobedient persons”, the statute under which most of the English martyrs suffered, made it high treason for any Jesuit or any seminary priest to be in England at all, and a felony for any person to harbor or aid them. All but six of the forty had been hanged, drawn and quartered, many of them at Tyburn.
The martyrs are: St. John Almond; St. Edmund Arrowsmith; St. Ambrose Barlow; St. John Boste; St. Alexander Briant; St. Edmund Campion; St. Margaret Clitherow; St. Philip Evans; St. Thomas Garnet; St. Edmund Gennings; St. Richard Gwyn; St. John Houghton; St. Philip Howard; St. John Jones; St. John Kemble; St. Luke Kirby; St. Robert Lawrence; St. David Lewis; St. Anne Line; St. John Lloyd; St. Cuthbert Mayne; St. Henry Morse; St. Nicholas Owen; St. John Payne; St. Polydore Plasden; St. John Plessington; St. Richard Reynolds; St. John Rigby; St. John Roberts; St. Alban Roe; St. Ralph Sherwin; St. Robert Southwell; St. John Southworth; St. John Stone; St.John Wall; St. Henry Walpole; St. Margaret Ward; St. Augustine Webster; St. Swithun Wells; St. Eustace White
Following beatifications between 1886 and 1929, there were already numerous martyrs from England and Wales recognised with the rank of Blessed. The bishops of the province identified a list of 40 further names; reasons given for the choice of those particular names include a spread of social status, religious rank, geographical spread and the pre-existence of popular devotion. The list of names was submitted to Rome in December 1960. In the case of a martyr, a miracle is not required. For a martyr, the Pope has only to make a declaration of martyrdom, which is a certification that the Venerable died voluntarily as a witness of the Faith or in an act of heroic charity for others. The Archbishop of Westminster, then Cardinal William Godfrey, sent a description of 24 seemingly miraculous cases to the Sacred Congregation. Out of 20 candidate cases for recognition as answered prayers, the alleged cure of a young mother from a malignant tumor was selected as the clearest case. In light of the fact that Thomas More and John Fisher, belonging to the same group of Martyrs, had been canonized with a dispensation from miracles, Pope Paul VI, after discussions with the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints, considered that it was possible to proceed with the Canonization on the basis of one miracle. Pope Paul VI granted permission for the whole group of 40 names to be recognised as saints on the strength of this one miracle. The canonization ceremony took place in Rome on October 25, 1970. In England, these martyrs were formerly commemorated within the Catholic Church by a feast day on October 25th, which is also the feast of Saints Crispin and Crispinian, but they are now celebrated together with all the 284 canonized or beatified martyrs of the English Reformation on 4 May. In Wales, the Catholic Church keeps October 25th as the feast of the Six Welsh Martyrs and their companions. The Welsh Martyrs are the priests Philip Evans and John Lloyd, John Jones, David Lewis, John Roberts, and the teacher Richard Gwyn.[9] The companions are the 34 English Martyrs listed above. Wales continues to keep May 4th as a separate feast for the beatified martyrs of England and Wales.
PRAYER: Merciful God, who, when thy Church on earth was torn apart by the ravages of sin, didst raise up men and women in England who witnessed to their faith with courage and constancy: give unto thy Church that peace which is thy will, and grant that those who have been divided on earth may be reconciled in heaven and be partakers together in the vision of thy glory; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen 🙏🏽