Blessed John Rugg

Memorial

• 15 November

Profile

Former fellow of the two Saint Mary Winton colleges. Priest. First holder of the Wykehamical prebend “Bursalis” at the Chichester Cathedral. Obtained a dispensation from residence, and was living as a Benedictine monk at Reading, Berkshire, England in 1532. Believed to have hidden the hand of Saint Anastasius, a relic housed in the cathedral, when the king‘s men seized the relics in the Reading abbey, and which was rediscovered during renovations in 1786. For this, and for denying the king‘s as head of the Church, he was executed. Martyr.

Born

• English

Died

• dragged through the streets, hanged, drawn, and quartered on 15 November 1539 at the main abbey gateway in Reading, Berkshire, England
• body left to rot in his chains as a warning for others
• body removed by locals and buried first at Bere Court
• relics re-interred in the 16th century

Beatified

• 13 May 1895 by Pope Leo XIII

Canonized

• if you have information relevant to the canonization of Blessed John, contact
     Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
     39 Eccleston Square
     London SW1V 1BX, UNITED KINGDOM

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• For All The Saints
• New Catholic Dictionary
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints

MLA Citation

• “Blessed John Rugg“. Saints.SQPN.com. 24 December 2012. Web. 20 May 2013. <>