The Mary’s Dowry Productions team filmed original portrayals on Saturday 15th October 2011 for an upcoming documentary on Saint Edmund Arrowsmith. Because there are hardly any images of this great English Martyr we had fun recreating some of our own images and portrayals which we’re really pleased with. It’s great to bring these Martyrs to life - putting flesh and blood on them so that their relevant witnesses and characters are more real. St. Edmund Arrowsmith has a fascinating and inspiring story that is set during the reigns of King James I and King Charles I. He was a native of Lancashire and was born into a staunch Catholic family. Even as a young boy his experiences prepared him for a life of persecution for the Catholic Faith
for his parents were often arrested for sheltering hunted Catholic priests in England. One time he was left shivering in his nightshirt as they were dragged from the house in the middle of the night. But instead of traumatising him, these experiences led him to a determined defence of the persecuted Catholic Church and he felt called to be a priest. He studied in France even though illnesses and ailments plagued him. Nevertheless he was very intelligent and was ordained a priest in Arras. He was determined to return to England on the English mission and a year later entered by ship and set upon a fifteen year mission in secret throughout his native home of Lancashire. He was hunted, stayed in safe houses and became famous for his humility, his ability to debate, his fearlessness and his love of the Catholic Faith. He was also an exorcist and his attention upon those possessed and tormented by evil spirits and enslave
d to the satanic was selfless and great. Saint Edmund Arrowsmith was a man of great prayer and love of Christ, the Eucharist and the Church. One time he was arrested and detained at the home of the Protestant Bishop of Chester. He rebuked the men for eating meat during Lent and the Bishop apologised saying that he was ill so was exempt. Saint Edmund Arrowsmith looked at the Bishop’s accompanying clergymen and said “What about those dogs?”. A great theological debate ensued and as St. Edmund Arrowsmith was well versed in scripture, history, theology, Faith and reason, science and philosophy he gained the upper hand much
to the Bishop’s embarassment. Because he was humble and quiet many took him to be a fool until they entered into conversation with him. He loved to debate heretics and his arguements were blunt and to the point so much so that his friend said he wished he had salt in which to season his words. But his kindness and concern in his conversations won many back to the True Faith. He became a Jesuit after witnessing the great courage of the Jesuit missionaries in England and he would often frequent the Blue Anchor Inn in Brindle for meetings with his Jesuit brothers. This Inn was to prove the place of his final mission for in the year 1628, King Charles I reintroduced the severe anti-Catholic penal laws. In late s
pring of this same year, Saint Edmund Arrowsmith returned to the Blue Anchor Inn on business with the son of the landlord, Mr. Holden. Although a young Catholic man, Mr. Holden had been married to his protestant cousin by a protestant minister. His ‘wife’ then desired to become a Catholic so St. Edmund Arrowsmith worked hard sorting out the process to regulate the marriage, preparing them for a Catholic marriage. He had one condition, that the couple live seperately for the two weeks it would take to organise this. But Mr. Holden was not prepared to change his lifestyle for two weeks and when Saint Edmund Arrowsmith pointed out to him the never ch
anging teachings of the Church on cohabitation, Mr. Holden was irritated. Holden agreed that his marriage was not valid but refused to live seperately until he was properly wed. He then left the Inn in a rage and went to the authorities to betray Saint Edmund Arrowsmith. Saint Edmund Arrowsmith was warned and managed to escape and a dramatic chase ensued. But when his horse refused to jump a ditch, St. Edmund had to continue on foot. Holden was determined that St. Edmund be betrayed and his captors caught up with him. In the fight St. Edmund’s hand was cut badly, he was dragged back to the alehouse and his captor took his purse and spent all of St. Edmund’s money on drink until the authorities arrived and arrested the priest. St. Edmund Arrowsmith was taken to Lancaster Castle and appeared at the assizes overseen by he rabiddly anti-Catholic Yelverston. His trial was swift and he was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered for being a priest and a Jesuit and for refusing to attend the State Church and take the Oath. Humble bu
t unmovable, the account of his trial is interesting and inspiring, for he was prepared to face his gruesome death rather than compromise. He was thrown into a horrible hole where he could not sit, stand or lie down but had to crouch for two days without food or water. He remained in prayer and we can imagine that because of his deep love for Christ and confromity to Him he would have pictured Our Lord’s own imprisonment and derived comfort and graces from these sufferings. Future fellow Martyr Saint John Southworth was also being held at Lancaster Castle. St. John Southworth was able to slip into St. Edmund’s cell and hear his confession. They arranged that he would give St. Edmund a final absolution as Edmund was led towards the gallows. This he did. As he was being escorted to the hurdle, St. Edmund Arrowsmith paused and looked up at the cell window and Fr. John Southworth gave him absolution.
St. Edmund was dragged to the gallows and there he was subjected to haranguing by protestant minsters. His final words are filled with straightforward advice and show his deep love for Jesus and the English people.
He pulled his cap over his eyes and then looked once more to tell the protestants to cease hounding him for he was a dying man and would never conform. He was hanged until almost dead and then cut down. His body was violently butchered while he was still alive and then his four quarters were set around Lancaster castle, his head upon a pike. A resusant Catholic rescued his right hand which has been a source of great miracles and cures even today where it is kept in a silver casket in the church of St. Oswald in Ashton in Makerfield. We will be putting our documentary together soon and look forward to presenting this resource on one of our great English Martyrs to help spread his life and witness to the Catholic Faith. www.marysdowryproductions.org
The Mary’s Dowry Productions team filmed original portrayals on Saturday 15th October 2011 for an upcoming documentary on Saint Edmund Arrowsmith. Because there are hardly any images of this great English Martyr we had fun recreating some of our own images and portrayals which we’re really pleased with. It’s great to bring these Martyrs to life - putting flesh and blood on them so that their relevant witnesses and characters are more real. St. Edmund Arrowsmith has a fascinating and inspiring story that is set during the reigns of King James I and King Charles I. He was a native of Lancashire and was born into a staunch Catholic family. Even as a young boy his experiences prepared him for a life of persecution for the Catholic Faith
for his parents were often arrested for sheltering hunted Catholic priests in England. One time he was left shivering in his nightshirt as they were dragged from the house in the middle of the night. But instead of traumatising him, these experiences led him to a determined defence of the persecuted Catholic Church and he felt called to be a priest. He studied in France even though illnesses and ailments plagued him. Nevertheless he was very intelligent and was ordained a priest in Arras. He was determined to return to England on the English mission and a year later entered by ship and set upon a fifteen year mission in secret throughout his native home of Lancashire. He was hunted, stayed in safe houses and became famous for his humility, his ability to debate, his fearlessness and his love of the Catholic Faith. He was also an exorcist and his attention upon those possessed and tormented by evil spirits and enslave
d to the satanic was selfless and great. Saint Edmund Arrowsmith was a man of great prayer and love of Christ, the Eucharist and the Church. One time he was arrested and detained at the home of the Protestant Bishop of Chester. He rebuked the men for eating meat during Lent and the Bishop apologised saying that he was ill so was exempt. Saint Edmund Arrowsmith looked at the Bishop’s accompanying clergymen and said “What about those dogs?”. A great theological debate ensued and as St. Edmund Arrowsmith was well versed in scripture, history, theology, Faith and reason, science and philosophy he gained the upper hand much 
to the Bishop’s embarassment. Because he was humble and quiet many took him to be a fool until they entered into conversation with him. He loved to debate heretics and his arguements were blunt and to the point so much so that his friend said he wished he had salt in which to season his words. But his kindness and concern in his conversations won many back to the True Faith. He became a Jesuit after witnessing the great courage of the Jesuit missionaries in England and he would often frequent the Blue Anchor Inn in Brindle for meetings with his Jesuit brothers. This Inn was to prove the place of his final mission for in the year 1628, King Charles I reintroduced the severe anti-Catholic penal laws. In late s
pring of this same year, Saint Edmund Arrowsmith returned to the Blue Anchor Inn on business with the son of the landlord, Mr. Holden. Although a young Catholic man, Mr. Holden had been married to his protestant cousin by a protestant minister. His ‘wife’ then desired to become a Catholic so St. Edmund Arrowsmith worked hard sorting out the process to regulate the marriage, preparing them for a Catholic marriage. He had one condition, that the couple live seperately for the two weeks it would take to organise this. But Mr. Holden was not prepared to change his lifestyle for two weeks and when Saint Edmund Arrowsmith pointed out to him the never ch
anging teachings of the Church on cohabitation, Mr. Holden was irritated. Holden agreed that his marriage was not valid but refused to live seperately until he was properly wed. He then left the Inn in a rage and went to the authorities to betray Saint Edmund Arrowsmith. Saint Edmund Arrowsmith was warned and managed to escape and a dramatic chase ensued. But when his horse refused to jump a ditch, St. Edmund had to continue on foot. Holden was determined that St. Edmund be betrayed and his captors caught up with him. In the fight St. Edmund’s hand was cut badly, he was dragged back to the alehouse and his captor took his purse and spent all of St. Edmund’s money on drink until the authorities arrived and arrested the priest. St. Edmund Arrowsmith was taken to Lancaster Castle and appeared at the assizes overseen by he rabiddly anti-Catholic Yelverston. His trial was swift and he was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered for being a priest and a Jesuit and for refusing to attend the State Church and take the Oath. Humble bu
t unmovable, the account of his trial is interesting and inspiring, for he was prepared to face his gruesome death rather than compromise. He was thrown into a horrible hole where he could not sit, stand or lie down but had to crouch for two days without food or water. He remained in prayer and we can imagine that because of his deep love for Christ and confromity to Him he would have pictured Our Lord’s own imprisonment and derived comfort and graces from these sufferings. Future fellow Martyr Saint John Southworth was also being held at Lancaster Castle. St. John Southworth was able to slip into St. Edmund’s cell and hear his confession. They arranged that he would give St. Edmund a final absolution as Edmund was led towards the gallows. This he did. As he was being escorted to the hurdle, St. Edmund Arrowsmith paused and looked up at the cell window and Fr. John Southworth gave him absolution. 
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1 comments:
It looks very impressive and I look forward to it coming out - Wil
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