The Mass with Saint Edmund

A young priest caught at Mass, remembered for serving England’s hidden Catholics with steady and faithful courage.

Edmund Gennings grew up in England in the late 1500s, at a time when being a Catholic could get you imprisoned or worse. He wasn’t raised in the faith, but when he discovered it, something in it felt solid to him. He followed that direction with his whole heart. It eventually led him to train as a priest far from home.

Edmund returned to England knowing the risks. He chose to help Catholic families who were trying to survive those harsh laws. He moved quietly from house to house, celebrated Mass in hidden rooms, and supported people who felt afraid of what each day might bring.

In 1591, he was celebrating Mass in a home in London when soldiers burst in. They arrested him immediately. Despite the harsh treatment, Edmund stayed steady. People who saw him later said he carried himself with a kind of peace that didn’t shake, even when he knew the sentence waiting for him.

He was executed at twenty-four. His life was short, but the way he lived left a strong mark. He was a priest who stayed faithful in a time when that choice could cost everything.

Saint Edmund Gennings is remembered today as one of the English martyrs, a young man who stayed loyal to God and to the people he served, even when the path grew dangerous.

⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ

Merely Christmas • Darem Placer
Out this season on Bandcamp.

Saint John Roberts: The Monk Who Kept Coming Home

A monk who kept returning to England to serve his people, choosing faith even when it put him at risk.

John Roberts was a Welshman born in 1577. He grew up in a good family, studied well, and later felt drawn to something deeper than the usual path. That search led him to France, where he became a Benedictine monk. From there, he followed his calling to become a priest.

His heart never left England. Even though being a Catholic priest there was dangerous, he kept returning in secret to serve the people. He helped the poor, guided families, and stayed close to sick prisoners during outbreaks of illness. For him, faith was not a big speech—it was daily service.

Because the law treated Catholic priests as criminals, he was arrested many times. Friends begged him to stop going back, but he always returned. He believed that people deserved a priest, even if it cost him everything.

In 1610, he was captured again. This time, there was no escape. He faced his death with calm courage, forgiving everyone involved. People who witnessed it said he looked more peaceful than afraid.

Saint John Roberts is honored as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. His story is simple but strong—a man who chose service over safety, and faith over fear.

⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ

Merely Christmas • Darem Placer
Out this season on Bandcamp.