Blessed Thomas Pilcher
Also known as: Thomas Pilchard
Feast Day
21 March; 29 October as one of the Martyrs of Douai; 22 November as one of the Martyrs of England, Scotland and Wales; 1 December as one of the Martyrs of Oxford University
Born
C.1557 in Battle, East Sussex, England
Died
Hanged, drawn and quartered on 21 March 1587 in Dochester, Dorset, England; no official executioner could be found; a local butcher was hired to do the disemboweling, but stopped halfway when Thomas asked him, “Is this your justice?”
Beatified
22 November 1987 by Pope John Paul II
Venerated
10 November 1986 by Pope John Paul II (decree of martyrdom)
Biography
Blessed Thomas Pilcher, also known as Thomas Pilchard, was born around 1557 in Battle, East Sussex, England. He was an ardent scholar and pursued his studies at Balliol College, Oxford, where he excelled in his academics. However, his life took a significant turn when he underwent a profound conversion to Catholicism.
Cause for Canonization
Feast Days
Books & Resources
A Calendar of the English Martyrs of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, https://archive.org/details/a589842900lawtuoft/
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612787169
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