Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Bring Me The Head Of Oliver Plunkett

This week’s saintly bishop . . .

St. Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh

Born in Ireland, November 1, 1629, St. Oliver studied and became a priest in Rome. During this time England conquered Ireland, the public practice of Roman Catholicism was banned, and Catholic clergy were executed. St. Oliver finally returned to Ireland 10 years after the start of the Restoration to build schools for children and clergy. Anti-Catholicism resurfaced in the ‘70s forcing St. Oliver into hiding. He was eventually caught, unfairly tried, and found guilty of conspiring against the King of England. In 1681, he was hanged and drawn and quartered. His head is on display at St. Peter's Church in Drogheda, Ireland.

When we reflect on the disarray in today's Catholic Church, we cannot help but pray for a shepherds who will utter these words of St. Oliver's and, more importantly, live them: "we … have acquired the habit of suffering to the extent that it will be less inconvenient in the future…For if the captains fly, it is in vain to exhort the single soldiers to stand in battle."


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