Blessed Thomas Holland

Also known as: Thomas Sanderson
Thomas Hammond
Memorial: 12 December
Profile: Apparently the son of Richard Holland, a landed gentleman. Studied at Saint Omer, France, and Valladolid, Spain in 1621. Jesuit novice at Watten, Flanders, Belgium in 1624. Ordained in 1624 at Liège, Belgium. Parish priest at Ghent. Prefect of Saint Omer's. Spiritual coadjutor at Ghent on 28 May 1634. He returned to England c.1635 to minister to covert Catholics, living on the run and using false names due to government perscution. He was skilled in disguises, spoke flawless French, Spanish, and Flemish, and could fool many. Arrested in London on 4 October 1642 for the crime of priesthood. He refused to cooperate with the trial proceedings, was convicted of being a priest, and sentenced to die. While awaiting execution, he ministered to other prisoners. Martyr .
Born: 1600 at Sutton, Lancashire, England
Died: hanged, drawn, and quartered on 12 December 1642 at Tyburn, England
Beatified: 15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI
Canonized: pending
Additional Information: Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
Catholic Encyclopedia, by J B Wainewright
Catholic Online
Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints, by Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, and Stephen Bunson
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