DISCIPLESHIP
Discipleship , Martyrdom , and Preparation of the Mind
Father Timothy Laboe
St . Margaret Clitherow liked to make what she called her “ pilgrimage .” She would set out barefoot in the evening with two or three of her friends and walk the mile or so to an area outside of York known as Knavesmire , which was the site of public executions . Gallows had been erected there centuries before , and during St . Margaret ’ s era , Catholic priests had been executed by the state during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I . St . Margaret liked to go there to pray . According to her biographer , Father John Mush , St . Margaret would kneel and pray at the gallows as long as her companions allowed . St . Margaret was a devout Catholic during a time when Catholics were persecuted in England . The threat of death was very present , and she went to the site of martyrdom for inspiration and to pray for the grace of martyrdom should she have to face death for the sake of her faith . She eventually received that grace and was martyred on March 25 , 1586 .
Photo by Marek Dziekonski shms . edu 13