Saint Anne Line film update

Our film about saint Anne Line, completed in 2010, in available on DVD through Mary's Dowry Productions. 

Saint Anne Line was an Elizabethan woman whose great love for the Catholic faith in England shone out in her kind and prayerful spirit. She loved to assist priests and looked after safe houses for them as they travelled England during the troubled times after the reformation.

Saint Anne Line lived a live of prayer and charity, being a light of joy and spiritual love for all who met her. She joyfully accepted the Will of God in every moment of her life and gave a beautiful witness of love for God and her friends that is especially relevant in our own days.

Our film about Saint Anne Line is available worldwide in all region formats on DVD:

www.marysdowryproductions.org/shop/

 

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 inspiring Elizabethan Saint.

 

Saint Anne Line (c.1563 – 27 February 1601) was an English Catholic martyr. After losing her husband she became very active in sheltering clandestine Catholic priests, which was illegal in the reign of Elizabeth I. Finally arrested, she was condemned to death and executed for harbouring a priest. Considered as a martyr by the Catholic Church she was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. Liturgically she is commemorated on 27 February.

Key words

 

Safe houses, priests, saints, Anne Line, English Martyr, Rosary, Tyburn Gallows, Elizabethan, Gerard, Jesuits, London, Scapular, Weald and Downland, England, Prayer, sacrifice, gallows, hanged, Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth, recusant, Roger Line, priests

Jesuits, Birettas, Priest Holes and St. Nicholas Owen

The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu, S.J., SJ or SI) is a male religious congregation of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits. The society is engaged in evangelization and apostolic ministry in 112 nations on six continents. Jesuits work in education (founding schools, colleges, universities and seminaries), intellectual research, and cultural pursuits. Jesuits also give retreats, minister in hospitals and parishes, and promote social justice and ecumenical dialogue.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola founded the society after being wounded in battle and experiencing a religious conversion. He composed the Spiritual Exercises to help others follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. In 1534, Ignatius and six other young men, including Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, gathered and professed vows of poverty, chastity, and later obedience, including a special vow of obedience to the Pope in matters of mission direction and assignment. Ignatius's plan of the order's organization was approved by Pope Paul III in 1540 by a bull containing the "Formula of the Institute".

Saint Nicholas Owen measures the wall inside a house in order
to built his ingenious priest hole.
Screenshot from 'St. Nicholas Owen'
© 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions

In England, during the troubled days following the reformation, the Jesuits played a very important part in bringing the outlawed sacraments to the English people.
Many young English men travelled abroad to train as priests and Jesuits and return to England to bring the Gospel back to the people.
Saint Nicholas Owen was a Jesuit layman who travelled with the Jesuits constructing secret rooms and priest holes up and down England.

St. Henry Garnets and the Jesuits hide Nicholas Owen before
they too conceal themselves in priest holes as the
house is raided in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot
Screenshot from 'St. Nicholas Owen'
© 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions

St. Nicholas Owen's fascinating, spiritual and evangelical life of priest hole making is looked at in this DVD available through our online shop: www.marysdowryproductions.org/shop/
 

 Fr. Henry Garnett, Superior to the Jesuits in England until his capture and execution during the reign of King James I was arrested with St. Nicholas Owen.

 The Jesuits hid in one of his priest holes in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot.

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 inspiring English Saint. 

St. Swithun Wells - Martyr for priests

There are few resources available for this inspiring Catholic layman, who was hanged with young St. Fr. Edmund Gennings in 1591. In 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions filmed for a DVD St. Swithun Wells who was executed for his part in hiding many hunted priests in Elizabethan England. The DVD is available through www.marysdowryproductions.org/shop/

Saint Swithun Wells with his wife Alice
Screenshot from 'The Secret Mass Room'
© 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions

Saint Swithun Wells travelled the continent, often linked with the patron of playwright William Shakespeare, before returning to England and marrying his devout Catholic wife Alice. His own love of prayer and the Catholic faith was evident to those who knew him.

Saint Swithun Wells returns home to find the secret Mass room
in his house abandoned and in disarray after a raid by priest hunter
Richard Topcliffe who apprehend his wife, servants and the priests
he was sheltering.
Screenshot from 'The Secret Mass Room'
© 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions

 Keen to assist priests during the troubled times of Elizabethan England, Saint Swithun built a secret Mass room in his London home where priests could celebrate Mass for his friends and neighbours. Saint Swithun's kind, jovial nature was evident in his dealings with all, even those who were hostile towards the outlawed Catholic Faith.

Saint Swithun is taken from his wife Alice to go to trial.
Alice later died in prison for the Catholic Faith
Screenshot from 'The Secret Mass Room'
© Mary's Dowry Productions

When he returned one morning to find the Secret Mass room in disarray, his daughter told him that the infamous priest hunter Richard Topcliffe had arrested Alice, their servants and the priests who were celebrating Mass. Saint Swithun arrived at the prison and was promptly arrested too.
Even in the face of trials, Saint Swithun was known to keep a peaceful and positive attitude. He has left us an inspiring example that especially shines out in his love for priests.

Saint Swithun Wells prays for Saint Edmund Gennings as he
awaits his own execution
Screenshot from 'The Secret Mass Room'
© Mary's Dowry Productions 2010

 

Our DVD was filmed over the course of two days specifically in the barn and courtyard attached to our parish church, where parishioners and friends prayerfully and silently portrayed certain moments from Saint Swithun Wells' story. We also filmed external scenes and beautiful scenery at Parham Park and Gardens as well as on the Sussex South Downs. The film comes together with original music that aids contemplation and a narrative told in Saint Swithun Wells' own words.

We seek to offer a prayerful way in which to quietly encounter this inspiring English Saint.

 

Saint Swithun Wells and his wife Alice in the Tower of London
© Mary's Dowry Productions 2010

 

 "Hurry up please, Mr. Topcliffe. Are you not ashamed to make a poor old man stand in his shirt in the cold? God pardon you and make you of a Saul a Paul, of a bloody persecutor one of the Catholic Church's children. By your malice I am thus to be executed, but you have done me the greatest benefit that ever I could have had. I heartily forgive you." - Last words of St. Swithun Wells at the gallows - 1591.

Our DVD is available worldwide in all region formats:
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 inspiring Elizabethan Saint.

St. Anne Line film: Prison

Saint Anne Line (c.1563 – 27 February 1601) was an English Catholic martyr. After losing her husband she became very active in sheltering clandestine Catholic priests, which was illegal in the reign of Elizabeth I. Finally arrested, she was condemned to death and executed for harbouring a priest. Considered as a martyr by the Catholic Church she was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. Liturgically she is commemorated on 27 February.

Saint Anne Line in prison
Screenshot from Mary's Dowry Productions DVD
'Saint Anne Line - English Martyr'
© 2010

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 inspiring Elizabethan Saint.

On location at the Weald and Downland Museum
Screenshot from Saint Anne Line
© 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions
Showing Saint Anne Line caring for safe houses

Available on DVD through www.marysdowryproductions.org.shop/