St. Robert Lawrence

St. Robert Lawrence was an English Carthusian prior martyred in 1535 for refusing to acknowledge King Henry VIII's supremacy over the Church. He is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

St. Robert Lawrence was born around 1485 in England and became a Carthusian monk, eventually serving as the Prior of Beauvale Charterhouse in Nottinghamshire. His early education and religious formation are not extensively recorded, but it is known that he was deeply committed to the contemplative and ascetic life of the Carthusian Order, one of the most austere religious orders in the Church.

During the reign of King Henry VIII, a dramatic conflict arose between the English monarchy and the Catholic Church, particularly over the king's efforts to annul his marriage and assert supremacy over the Church in England. The Act of Supremacy in 1534 required all subjects to recognize Henry as the Supreme Head of the Church of England, a demand that faithful Catholics, especially members of religious orders, could not accept in good conscience.

In 1535, St. Robert Lawrence, along with fellow Carthusian monks, stood firmly in defense of papal authority and the unity of the Catholic Church. He refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, which would have recognized Henry VIII's authority over the Church. For this act of conscience, he was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Despite intense pressure and harsh treatment, Lawrence did not yield. Alongside Saints John Houghton and Augustine Webster, he was condemned for treason. On May 4, 1535, he was executed by hanging, drawing, and quartering at Tyburn, a common site for public executions in London. His martyrdom was marked by courage, faith, and a serene acceptance of suffering for the sake of Christ and the Church.

St. Robert Lawrence was beatified in 1886 by Pope Leo XIII and canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 25, 1970, as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, a group honored for their heroic witness to the Catholic faith during the English Reformation.

Feast Day

4-5-

Birth Date

--1485

Died Date

4-5-1535

Canonised Date

25-10-1970

Tyburn, London, England

St. Robert Lawrence, faithful witness to Christ in the face of persecution, strengthen us to stand firm in our convictions. Through your intercession, may we be courageous and unwavering in truth, loyal to the Church, and ever devoted to God's holy will. Amen.
ST. ROBERT LAWRENCE

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