Feast of the Douai Martyrs

On Friday 30 October, please join us at Ushaw for a Mass to mark the Feast of the Douai Martyrs. This is one of the most important Feast Days at Ushaw, when the legacy of the martyrs continues to be remembered.

Everyone is welcome to join us for Mass at 12.30pm, and Ushaw would particularly like to invite former students and staff to join us in memory of the martyrs.

A light lunch of soup and bread is available after the Mass, at a cost of £6. If you would like to join us for lunch, please sign up below.

Ushaw opened its doors as a college and seminary in 1808, and the first students and staff came from Douai, in Northern France, after the French Revolution.  Ushaw was the successor to the English College in Douai, and one of the most important parts of the Douai legacy was the history of the Douai Martyrs, more than 150 former students who gave their lives for the Catholic faith.  When a priest was ordained in Douai, he took a vow to go “on the mission”, which meant to return to England to serve as a priest.  This was during the centuries when it was illegal to be a Catholic in England, and priests, if captured, were likely to be executed for high treason.  When news of a martyrdom reached Douai, a Te Deum was sung in thanksgiving in the College Chapel.

Today, we continue the tradition of remembering the Martyrs, and the sacrifice they made for the Catholic faith in our country.