Richard was a Welshman who lived in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, ruler of England and Wales, too. Because most of the people in wales were Catholic, Blessed Richard absolutely refused. He was brought to a non-Catholic Church by force, but he upset the preacher's whole sermon by clanking his chains loudly! Furious, the officials put him in the stocks for eight hours, and many came to abuse and insult him.
More time in prison and periods of torture followed. The Queens men wanted him to give them names of other Catholics, but Richard would not. At his trial, men were payed to lie about him, as one of them admitted. The men on the jury were so dishonest that they asked the judge whom he wanted them to condemn! After Blessed Richard was sentenced to death, his wife and baby were brought into court. "Do not imitate your husband," the poor woman was told. In disgust, she bravely snapped, "If you want more blood, you can take my life with my husband's. If you give more money to your witnesses, they will surely find something to say against me, too!"
As blessed Richard was being cruelly martyred, he cried out in terrible agony: "Holy God, what is this?" One of the officials mockingly answered: "An execution for Her Majesty, the Queen." "Jesus, have mercy on me! exclaimed the martyr, and then he was beheaded. The beautiful religious poems Blessed Richard wrote in prison are sill in existence. In them, he begged his countrymen of Wales to be loyal to the Catholic Faith.
If today I suffer a little, I will not complain.
Source; Saints for Young People for Every Day of the Year
More time in prison and periods of torture followed. The Queens men wanted him to give them names of other Catholics, but Richard would not. At his trial, men were payed to lie about him, as one of them admitted. The men on the jury were so dishonest that they asked the judge whom he wanted them to condemn! After Blessed Richard was sentenced to death, his wife and baby were brought into court. "Do not imitate your husband," the poor woman was told. In disgust, she bravely snapped, "If you want more blood, you can take my life with my husband's. If you give more money to your witnesses, they will surely find something to say against me, too!"
As blessed Richard was being cruelly martyred, he cried out in terrible agony: "Holy God, what is this?" One of the officials mockingly answered: "An execution for Her Majesty, the Queen." "Jesus, have mercy on me! exclaimed the martyr, and then he was beheaded. The beautiful religious poems Blessed Richard wrote in prison are sill in existence. In them, he begged his countrymen of Wales to be loyal to the Catholic Faith.
If today I suffer a little, I will not complain.
Source; Saints for Young People for Every Day of the Year
RSS Feed