John Boste
Encyclopedia
Saint John Boste is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church
, and one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
.
around 1544. He studied at Queen's College, Oxford where he became a Fellow. He converted to Catholicism in 1576. He left England and was ordained a priest at Reims
in 1581.
He returned as an active missionary priest to Northern England, often being accompanied by John Speed
. He was betrayed to the authorities near Durham
in 1593. Following his arrest he was taken to the Tower of London
for interrogation. Returned to Durham he was condemned by the Assizes and hanged, drawn and quartered
at nearby Dryburn
on 24 July 1594. Boste denied that he was a traitor saying "My function is to invade souls, not to meddle in temporal invasions".
John Boste was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929. He was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
. Their joint feast day is kept on 25 October. His memorial is kept on the day of his execution, 24 July.
The West Brook Lion football stadium, St Johns Park, was named in honour of John Boste in 1810. Although the Stadium has since been demolished the foundations remain.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, and one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales are a group of men and women who were executed for treason and related offences in the Kingdom of England between 1535 and 1679...
.
Life
John Boste was born in WestmorlandWestmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
around 1544. He studied at Queen's College, Oxford where he became a Fellow. He converted to Catholicism in 1576. He left England and was ordained a priest at Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
in 1581.
He returned as an active missionary priest to Northern England, often being accompanied by John Speed
John Speed (martyr)
John Speed was an English Roman Catholic layman,condemned for assisting the priest John Boste, whom he used to escort from one Catholic house to another. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1929....
. He was betrayed to the authorities near Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
in 1593. Following his arrest he was taken to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
for interrogation. Returned to Durham he was condemned by the Assizes and hanged, drawn and quartered
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
at nearby Dryburn
Framwelgate
Framwelgate is an area of Durham, County Durham, England. It is adjoined by Crossgate, North End, Framwellgate Moor and the River Wear....
on 24 July 1594. Boste denied that he was a traitor saying "My function is to invade souls, not to meddle in temporal invasions".
John Boste was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929. He was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales are a group of men and women who were executed for treason and related offences in the Kingdom of England between 1535 and 1679...
. Their joint feast day is kept on 25 October. His memorial is kept on the day of his execution, 24 July.
The West Brook Lion football stadium, St Johns Park, was named in honour of John Boste in 1810. Although the Stadium has since been demolished the foundations remain.