St John Fisher (1469 – 1535) was born the eldest of four children into a moderately prosperous merchant family in Beverley, England. He had a good education and progressed to the University of Cambridge. He was ordained a Priest in 1491 and maintained a long work history with Cambridge University. He was appointed Bishop of Rochester in 1504 where he remained for the next 31 years.
When King Henry VIII tried to annul his marriage to Queen Catherine of Aragon, St John Fisher became a trusted supporter and counsellor to her. This angered King Henry and it was further exacerbated when St John Fisher refused to accept King Henry as the Supreme Head of the Church of England because it belittled Papal primacy. King Henry ordered St John Fishers execution. Shortly before his death, St John Fisher was appointed a Cardinal.
St John Fisher’s Feast Day is 22nd June, the day of his death. He is the Patron Saint of the Diocese of Rochester.
St John Fisher:
Pray for us that we will uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Glory be to the…
