More than 160 priests trained in the English College

English College, Douai

The English College, Douai was a Catholic seminary associated with the University of Douai . It was established in about 1561, and was suppressed in 1793...

 of Douai, France

Douai

-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...

, returned to England and Wales and faced arrest, torture, and execution by English authorities. They were martyred in England and Wales during the century following the foundation of the famed college by Cardinal William Allen in 1568. A large group - more than eighty - were beatified

Beatification

Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...

 in 1929, and English dioceses celebrate the feasts of these martyrs. http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2985

Useful links

• English-Scottish-Irish-Welsh Martyrs