Harbouring Priests - Saint Anne Line, Laywoman, Elizabethan English Martyr - Commemorated on 27th February

HARBOURING PRIESTS
Saint Anne Line - Laywoman - 27th February

Saint Anne Line prepares a secret Mass room.
© 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions

Mrs Line was the widow of a Hampshire gentleman who was exiled for his religion; she suffered continuous ill-health, but her soul was strong. Her desire was to win the palm of martyrdom, and she feared she would be deprived of it, as very few women had then suffered.

 

Roger Line, Saint Anne's husband, imprisoned and exiled for the Catholic Faith
© 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions

The assurance of a former confessor of hers, William Thomson, himself a martyr, and a vision she had of Our Lord carrying His cross, encouraged her to hope that her desire would be obtained, and she was not deceived. On Candlemas day 1601, her house was beset by pursuviants at the very time Mass was beginning; but as the doors were strongly barred the priest, Father Page, managed to escape, and the house was searched in vain.

 

Father Page begins his escape
© 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions



Mrs Line, however, was arrested and carried in a chair to the Old Bailey, for she was too weak to walk, and there sentenced to be hanged.

 

Saint Anne Line in prison
© 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions

At Tyburn she declared:

"I am sentenced to die for harbouring a Catholic priest, and so far am I from repenting that I wish I could have entertained a thousand."

She suffered on 27th February 1601, just before the priests Barkworth and Filcock, and the former blessed her dead body, kissing her clothing and her hand, and saying they would quickly follow her.

 

Father Barkworth
© 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions

"He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive the reward of a prophet." - Matt. 10, 41.

 

Reading for 27th February

Mementoes of the Martyrs and Confessors of England and Wales

by Henry Sebastian Bowden of the Oratory.

 

Our film about Saint Anne Line is available through:

www.marysdowryproductions.org

 

 

Saint Anne Line:

A very atmospheric film that draws you into the heart and mind of a young Elizabethan woman with a deep love of the Mass and her fellow people.  The interesting visuals capture life in that Era but in a contemporary style, showing the beauty of the faith, fellowship and love that breaches the boundaries of time. 

In 2007 Mary’s Dowry productions created a new form of film media to present the lives of the saints. Mary’s Dowry Productions recreates stunning silent visuals, informative, devotional narration, and original contemplative music that touches your spirit to draw you into a spiritual encounter with the saint. Watch with your spiritual eye, listen with your spiritual ear. Our films seek to offer a window into the lives of our saints. Using your spiritual senses we invite you to shut out the world, sit prayerfully and peacefully and go on a journey of faith, history and prayer with this young and inspiring Elizabethan Englishwoman.

Length and Format:

The film runs for 30 minutes and is available on Region Free DVD worldwide.



Willing Sacrifices - St Robert Southwell on his Fellow Catholics (1) - Reading for 22nd February

WILLING SACRIFICES

Saint Robert Southwell on his Fellow Catholics (1) - Feast Day 21st February

 

 

Saint Robert Southwell thus described the condition of his fellow Catholics, clergy and laity:

"As yet we are alive and well, being unworthy, it seems, of prisons. We have oftener sent than received letters from your parts, though they are not sent without difficulty, and some we know have been lost. The condition of Catholic recusants here is the same as usual, deplorable and full of fears and dangers, more especially since our adversaries have looked for wars. As many of ours are in chains rejoice and are comforted in their prisons; and they that are at liberty set not their hearts upon it nor expect it to be of long continuance.

All, by the great goodness and mercy of God, arm themselves to suffer anything that can come, how hard soever it may be, as it shall please our Lord, for whose greater glory and the salvation of their souls they are more concerned than for any temporal losses. A little while ago they apprehended two priests, who have suffered such cruel usages in the prison of Bridewell as can scarce be believed. What was given them to eat was so little in quantity, and withal most filthy and nauseous."

 

 

 

"Then, said I, Behold I come...to do thy will, O my God." - Ps. 39, 7-9.

 

Reading for 22nd February from the Mementoes of the Martyrs and Confessors of England and Wales by Henry Sebastian Bowden of the Oratory.

 

 

www.marysdowryproductions.org

 

In 2007 Mary’s Dowry productions created a new form of film media to present the lives of the saints. Mary’s Dowry Productions recreates stunning silent visuals, informative, devotional narration, and original contemplative music that touches your spirit to draw you into a spiritual encounter with the saint. Watch with your spiritual eye, listen with your spiritual ear. Our films seek to offer a window into the lives of our saints. Using your spiritual senses we invite you to shut out the world, sit prayerfully and peacefully and go on a journey of faith, history and prayer with this young and holy priest.



Blessed Francisco Marto - a DVD of his life by Mary's Dowry Productions - Feast day 20th February

In 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions filmed some original prayerful scenes for a spiritual and prayerful 30 minute film especially about Blessed Francisco Marto.

 

Below are several screenshots from our film.

 

 Blessed Francisco Marto prayed many rosaries. In our film we reflect prayerfully upon Our Lady's request that we pray the rosary every day.

  

Actual photograph of Lucia, Blessed Francisco and Blessed Jacinta of Fatima which features in our film.

Blessed Francisco would pray for many hours, prostrating himself in reverence before God and repeating the prayers taught to him by the Angel of Peace

Blessed Francisco saw Our Lady of Fatima but was unable to hear what she said during the visions.

 

Blessed Francisco was portrayed in our film by a young boy from our parish of English Martyrs.

His portrayal is a prayerful and absorbing visual of Blessed Francisco at prayer, in thought and living the message of Our Lady of Fatima. 

 

 Blessed Francisco was often enraptured by the thought of the Light of God.

While he was in prison, Blessed Francisco knelt to pray the rosary. In the screenshot above he is telling the man, a fellow prisoner, to remove his hat before he prays.

 



Blessed Francisco spent many long hours before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

He often longed to console Our Lord.

In the screenshot above we used the Blessed Sacrament chapel in our parish church for these scenes.

 

 Before he died, Blessed Francisco made his first confession and First Holy Communion.

He died peacefully as a young boy with a smile on his face.

 

Above is a screenshot from our film which shows the tomb of Blessed Francisco in Fatima.

 

Blessed Francisco left us a beautiful witness of prayer and love of God.

Our film is available on DVD through:

www.marysdowryproductions.org