John Roberts was the first prior of St, Gregory’s, Douai ( now Downside Abbey).
He was born in Snowdonia, North Wales. He was baptised into the Anglican faith at St. Madryn church.
He spent 1593/5 at St. John’s College, Oxford. He went on to study law at Furnical’s Inn, London.
On his travels in Europe he left behind both law and his former faith and was converted to Catholicism on a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
In Spain he joined St. Benedict’s Monastery, Valladolid and became a member of the community in 1598. He was known as Brother John of Merioneth.
He made his novitiate and profession at San Martin Pinario in 1600.
In 1602 he finished his studies, ordained and sent to England.
In 1603, although observed by a Government spy, he entered the country in April and appointed vicar of the English monks of the Spanish congregation.
He was arrested and banished on 13th May.
24th May returned and worked among the plague victims
1604 arrested again but he was not recognized as a priest so released and banished again
5th November, 1605, arrested at house of Mrs. Percy, first wife of Thomas Percy- one of the gunpowder plot conspirators! Acquitted of any complicity in the plot itself but imprisoned in the Gatehouse Prison at Westminster for 7 months. Exiled in July 1606.
Back in Douai,France he founded and became the first prior of a house for English Benedictine monks.This eventually became the monastery of St. Gregory’s.
On his fifth time of visiting England in a year he was captured on 2nd December 1610. This time there was no reprieve.
On December 5th, along with Thomas Somers, he was hung, drawn and quartered but not disembowelled while still alive because of the kindness he had shown to the people of London during the plague.
When the executioner raised John’s heart and proclaimed Behold the heart of a traitor the crowd did not provide the standard response Long live the King! there was a deathly silence.
The introduction of the cause of beautification was approved by Pope Leo Xlll in the Decree of 4th December 1886.
On 25th October 1970 Roberts was canonised by Pope Paul Vlll as one of the representative Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
Sources
Wikipedia
Oxford Dictionary of Saints by David Farmer
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