Daily Saint

St. John Kemble, an English priest and martyr, was born in 1599 in Herefordshire, England. He belonged to a prominent Catholic family that produced several priests and even another future martyr, his cousin David Lewis. His early desire for the priesthood led him to Douai College, where he was ordained on February 23, 1625. He returned to England that same year to begin what would become more than five decades of missionary service.

For 53 years, John ministered in Herefordshire and Monmouthshire, traveling discreetly from home to home to celebrate Mass, hear confessions, and strengthen the faith of Catholics living under English laws. His gentle manner and deep charity earned him respect even among Protestants, who admired his integrity and peaceful spirit.

In 1678, a fabricated conspiracy called the Titus Oates Plot unleashed a wave of anti‑Catholic fear. Although there was no evidence connecting him to the conspiracy, he was arrested and taken to London for questioning, then returned to Hereford for trial.

Convicted solely for being a Catholic priest, he was sentenced to death under laws dating back to Elizabeth I. His executioner was overcome with grief, and John consoled him, saying, “Honest Anthony, my friend Anthony, be not afraid; do thy office. I forgive thee with all my heart. Thou wilt do me a greater kindness than discourtesy.”

John was hanged, drawn, and quartered on August 22, 1679, at Widemarsh Common in Hereford. His body was buried at Welsh Newton, where his grave remains a site of pilgrimage. He was canonized in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.