John Almond (alias ''Lathom'' or ''Molyneux'', ''c''. 1577 – 5 December 1612) was an English Catholic priest. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

in 1598 suffered

martyrdom A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external ...

in 1612. Canonised in 1970, John Almond is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

Early life

John Almond was born around 1577 in

Allerton, Liverpool Allerton is a suburb of Liverpool, England. Historically in Lancashire, it is located southeast of the city centre and is bordered by the suburbs of Garston, Hunt's Cross, Mossley Hill, and Woolton. It has a number of large houses in the pres ...

, and spent his childhood there and at Much Woolton, Lancashire (now Woolton, Liverpool) until at the age of eight, he was taken to Ireland.Pollen SJ, John Hungerford, ''Acts of the English Martyrs'', Burns & Oates, Ltd., London, 1891
/ref> He went to the

English College in Rome The Venerable English College (), commonly referred to as the English College, is a Catholic seminary in Rome, Italy, for the training of priests for England and Wales. It was founded in 1579 by William Allen on the model of the English College, ...

, at the age of twenty, where he was ordained as a priest, returning to England as a missionary in 1602. He concluded his term there by giving the 'Grand Act' -- a public defence of theses which cover the whole course of

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

—and was warmly congratulated by Cardinals

Caesar Baronius Cesare Baronio (as an author also known as Caesar Baronius; 30 August 1538 – 30 June 1607) was an Italian cardinal and historian of the Catholic Church. His best-known works are his ''Annales Ecclesiastici'' ("Ecclesiastical Annals"), wh ...

and

Francesco Maria Tarugi Francesco Maria Tarugi, C.O. (''French: François-Marie Tarugi'') (1525 – 11 June, 1608) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography He arrived to Rome in 1555, and there joined the oratory of St Philip Neri. In 1571, at age 45, he decided to b ...

, who presided.Ryan, Patrick W.F. "Ven. John Almond." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 2 Feb. 2013
/ref>

Return to England and martyrdom

He continued to minister to the faithful and labored in his mission for 10 years, during that time he would eagerly speak out against the anti-Catholic powers of the state. He returned to the dangers of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in 1602 as a secular

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

and administered to the faithful there. He was arrested in 1608, and then again in 1612. In November 1612, seven priests escaped from prison. It was alleged that, whilst in prison, Almond had said that "whosoever had killed a king, and were afterward penitent ... and did confesse the same to a priest, might have absolution". Before his death, he prayed, distributed alms to the poor, and gave his final oration, concluding with these words: "To use this life well is the pathway through death to everlasting life". During his final speech on the scaffold he condemned regicide, discussed the nature of grace and true repentance, and said that he conceded as much authority to James as to any Christian prince. John Almond was

hanged, drawn, and quartered To be hanged, drawn and quartered became a statutory penalty for men convicted of high treason in the Kingdom of England from 1352 under King Edward III (1327–1377), although similar rituals are recorded during the reign of King Henry III ( ...

on 5 December 1612 at

Tyburn Tyburn was a manor (estate) in the county of Middlesex, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. The parish, probably therefore also the manor, was bounded by Roman roads to the west (modern Edgware Road) and south (modern Ox ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Veneration

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

canonized John Almond on 25 October 1970. A bone

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

of Almond survives, which is in the Martyrs' crypt in Tyburn Convent, London. He is the patron saint of Liverpool. A book entitled ''Saint John Almond and the Society of His Time'' was written by Kenneth Alfred Almond, and the book cover has a detail drawing of the said martyr. This broad historical study explores the key events of John Almond's life and looks at them in an historical context alongside key events of the 16th and early 17th centuries.

Legacy

A Catholic comprehensive in

Garston, Liverpool Garston is a district of Liverpool. Historically in Lancashire, it is bordered by the suburbs of Grassendale, Allerton, and Speke. It lies on the Eastern banks of the River Mersey. History In medieval times, Garston was home to a group of ...

took the name of the martyr, initially as Blessed John Almond School and then St John Almond Catholic High School. The school is currently The Academy of St Nicholas.

References

External links

Summary of the Saint's life
{{DEFAULTSORT:Almond, John 1570s births 1612 deaths English Roman Catholic saints Canonizations by Pope Paul VI Forty Martyrs of England and Wales People executed by Stuart England by hanging, drawing and quartering 17th-century Christian saints 17th-century Roman Catholic martyrs 17th-century English Roman Catholic priests Executed people from Merseyside People from Allerton Clergy from Liverpool