Blessed Ralph Ashley

Memorial

• 1 December
• formerly 7 April

Profile

Worked as a cook at Douay College. Entered the English College at Valladolid on 28 April 1590 where he became a Jesuit lay brother. Ill health forced him to leave college and return to England. Along the way he was captured by Dutch heretics; he stood up to them and explained their errors. Finally landed in England on 9 March 1598.

Servant and assistant to Blessed Edward Oldcorne. Arrested on 23 January 1606 at Hindlip House, near Worcester, England in connection with the Gunpowder Plot, and for the crime of helping a priest. Transferred to the Tower of London on 3 February 1606 along with Father Garnet and Saint Nicholas Owen. Tortured for information on other Catholics and for the hiding places of priests. When they could get no information from him, he was transferred to Worcester, and condemned for his faith. Martyr.

Died

• hanged, drawn, and quartered on 7 April 1607 in Worcester, Worcestershire, England

Venerated

• 8 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI

Beatified

• 15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI

Canonized

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

Additional Information

• Catholic Encyclopedia, by Patrick Ryan
• For All The Saints, by Katherine Rabenstein

MLA Citation

• “Blessed Ralph Ashley”. Saints.SQPN.com. 13 August 2010. Web. 24 May 2013. <http://saints.sqpn.com/blessed-ralph-ashley/>