Feast day: July 12
John Jones was born during the murderous reign of Queen Elizabeth, who despised Catholics and sought to remove all remnants of Catholicism from England.
As a young man, Saint John traveled to France to take his vows as a Franciscan. He then traveled to Rome and, with the blessing of Pope Clement VII, went on a secret mission to England and began ministering to Catholics. He was eventually discovered, tortured, imprisoned, and, after refusing to recant, hanged. He was dismembered, and his body parts were placed around the nation as a warning to other Catholics.
Saint John Wall was also born in England, and after being ordained a priest in 1645 he spent many years ministering to the remaining Catholics in England. After 22 years of ministry, he was arrested and accused of conspiring against the king. He was eventually executed.
(Image in public domain)