Nuns in Persecution Part Four

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Distribution_of_English_Recusant_Catholics,_1715-1720.png

The first of two of the reasons why I am posting this series on recusant nuns rest in my conviction that unless there are relationships among Catholics, some type of Catholic community, the Faith will die in many areas. The second reason is that nuns and priests carry on the Faith by service and prayer. Will this happen when the vocations dwindle daily?

Some of the families of these nuns knew each other. For example, the Throckmortons knew the Garnets, of course, as Father Henry Garnet was at Coughton Hall for the planning of the Gunpowder Plot, as the confessor of the Throckmortons. Father Garnet was killed for holding the seal of Confession. That two of his neices became nuns would not be an accident. I have found the name of one, I think, Mary, and I am trying to trace the history of these women. Of course, these women had to leave England in order to pursue their vocations. I shall add more to their stories later on this blog.

The Throckmortons knew the Garnets, who also knew the Vauxs and so on. Such families were in each other's houses, although separated by hundreds of miles. Are we too lazy to network in person, to "pod", as I call it? Think about this.....do Catholics think they can remain holy on their own?

Recusant families supported each other in life and in death. The importance of networking cannot be over-emphasized and why priests do not talk about this from the pulpit astounds me.

Therefore, the laity must take the lead in networking.

Otherwise, Christ's query as to whether there will be any Faith on earth when He comes again will be answered in the negative.

Do not think that the Catholic parishes and churches one sees today will last another twenty years.

I doubt it.

http://libraries.slu.edu/a/digital_collections/spiritual-journeys/tanner1.html



Father Garnet suffered a terrible death. But, the legacy of Catholcism continued. in his family.

The Garnet Family produced the great Jesuit and a good short biography of him may be found here.

http://www.gunpowder-plot.org/garnet.asp

and here

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06386b.htm

But, there was another Garnet priest who was martyred, St. Thomas Garnet. Again, one sees a pattern of holiness in Catholic families at this time. He was the nephew of Henry Garnet

http://iconografiafranciscaleighton.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/saint-thomas-garnet-san-tomas-garnet/

His biography may be found here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Garnet  and here
http://www.marysdowryproductions.org/catholicfilms/saint-thomas-garnet/  and here
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Ven._Thomas_Garnet

A partial list of the recusant families in England is found here, including the name of the family of Fr. Henry Garnet and the two nuns, Garnet/Garnett, Gascoigne of Parlington, Aberford, Yorkshire.  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recusancy

Men and women risked their lives for even owning medals or Agnus Deis, such as this one found in Lyford Grange which was hidden for 400 years.

http://jesuitinstitute.org/Pages/Campion.htm

To be continued...next, the Vaux nuns, another family connected to the Garnets.