22/08/2026
🔴Saint of the Day: St John Kemble (c. 1599 – 22 August 1679)🔴
Today we remember our local martyr, St John Kemble, who was executed at Widemarsh Common on this day in 1679.
Born near Hereford into a Catholic family, he trained at the English College in Douai and served faithfully as a priest across Herefordshire and Monmouthshire for 54 years, quietly establishing missions that endured for generations.
Arrested in his old age during the anti-Catholic hysteria of Titus Oates’s fabricated "Popish Plot", he was cleared of any conspiracy against the Crown. Instead, he was condemned solely for his priesthood. At the age of 80, facing ex*****on, he remained steadfast, stating:
"I die only for professing the old Catholic religion, which was the religion that first made this kingdom Christian."
He was hanged, drawn, and quartered, giving his life with remarkable serenity and dignity.
He remains an enduring local witness to faith, courage, and devotion.
St John Kemble, pray for our parish and our diocese. 🙏🏻
