ST. John ROBERTS OSB

ST. John ROBERTS OSB was born in the town of Trawsfynydd in the County of Merionethshire, Wales in the year 1576. He was the eldest son of John Roberts who was descended from the ancient princes of North Wales. He made his career at the University of Oxford from 1596 until 1597, and afterwards in the "Inns of Court" of London.

After some months in London, he went to Paris, where he was converted to Catholicism.

On the 18th of October 1598, he was admitted as a student at St. Alban’s, VALLADOLID. He was attracted by the monastic life, and moved to the Benedictine Community of St. Benito of this City. Later, on the 26th of April 1600, he made his religious profession in the church of the Abbey of St. Martín at Santiago de Compostela. He was ordained a priest in Salamanca, in the year 1602.

He was ordered to the Mission in England, and arrived there in the April of 1603. He was appointed Vicar of the Spanish Benedictine Congregation in England.

Several times he was stopped, incarcerated, and banished, but always returned. During a term of deportation he helped to establish the Benedictine community of St. Gregory, at Douai (in the Low Countries), and is considered to be their first superior. The fifth time he returned to England was stopped, already dressed in Mass vestments; he was processed and condemned to death for being a priest, and martyred in Tyburn (London) 10 of December 1610, at the age of thirty four years.

He was solemnly canonised by Pope Paul VI, on the 25th of October 1970.