π Life Timeline
1469
Born in 1469 AD, Bostonshire, England
1469
JOHN FISHER (St) Card
1535
JOHN FISHER (St) Card
1504
e may justly be considered the second founder
1535
Died β June 22, 1535 AD, Tower Hill, London (beheaded)
1935
Canonized β 1935 by Pope Pius XI
β Biography
JOHN FISHER (St) Card. Bp. M. A.C. July 9 1469-1535 (June 22). Born at Beverley in Yorkshire, the son of a draper. He was educated at Cambridge and ever afterwards was connected with the life of the university, of which he eventually be- came chancellor. βAs such he did much to further the growth and progress of his Alma Mater, of which he may justly be considered the second founder. In 1504 he was appointed bishop of Rochester and proved to be the most faithful of the English bishops of that period: he upheld the cause of the queen against her adulter- ous husband, Henry VIII, and refused to take the oath of supremacy. He was for this reason beheaded on Tower Hill. Shortly before his death he had been created cardinal by the pope. He died with the words Te Deum on his lips. Canonized in 19385. Cf. Newdigate β Att. β Holw.
JOHN of COLOGNE (St) M. O.P.
R.M. July 9 d. 1572. A native of Cologne who became a Dominican and parish priest of Horner, Holland. He was hanged with the other Go
π‘ Patronage
Patron of: Catholics in England, converts, and those who resist tyrannical governments.
π¬ Words of the Saint
I am ready to die for the faith.
π Key Facts
Born
July 9, 1469, Beverley, Yorkshire, England
Died
June 22, 1535 AD, Tower Hill, London (beheaded)
Feast Day
Jun 22
Canonized
1935 by Pope Pius XI
π Legacy
Fisher's martyrdom alongside Thomas More is one of the most famous in English history. His defense of the papacy against Henry VIII made him a hero of Catholic resistance. He is one of England's most beloved saints.
π Personal Writings
Read excerpts from the saint's own words β their personal letters, spiritual writings, and teachings.
π Letters
On Conscience and Authority
I am the King's good servant, but God's is the first. When the king commands me to do what is against God's law, I must obey God rather than men. My conscience is my guide, and I will not violate it for any temporal power.
β St. John Fisher