John Ogilvie SJ was born of noble Calvinist parents in 1579 at Drumna-Keith in Banffshire, Scotland. As a boy he was sent to the continent to further his education. With the help of Father Cornelius van den Steen (also known as Cornelius a Lapide) he was received into the Catholic Church, and was a student at the Scots College in Louvain and at other centres of learning. He entered the Society of Jesus on November 5 1599, and after insistent pleading, he was allowed to return to his native country where his ministry was cut short by his betrayal and capture in Glasgow. After extreme suffering he was hanged on March 10, 1615. The principal cause of his martyrdom was his insistence on the primacy of the Pope in spiritual matters, a primacy he affirmed with great constancy to the very end. He was enrolled among the saints by Blessed Pope Paul VI on October 17, 1976.

The following letter written secretly in prison a short time before his death and addressed to Father Claude Acquaviva, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, reveals the courage and humility with which St John faced martyrdom:

Dearest and wisest of veterans, after Christ and his angels and saints the most tender love of my heart. 

My sufferings are terrible, the tortures severe. Your Paternity’s charity will ensure that you pray for me, that I may die with great generosity for the ever victorious Jesus. May Christ long protect you, the most expert leader of his chosen and tested soldiers as the bulwark of his Church. 

Your Very Reverend Paternity’s little servant in Christ, and most unworthy child,

John Ogilvie SJ

Last Letter Of St John Ogilvie SJ

St Nicholas Owen was born in 1562 in Oxford into a devout recusant family, and trained as a carpenter and joiner.  Very little is known of his ministry as a Jesuit, other than he put his training as a carpenter to work constructing priest holes. The only written account of him comes from what others have written about him, and we've collected these together in this audio. Read the transcript of this recording on the Jesuits in Britain Ignatian Insight blog: https://www.jesuit.org.uk/node/2519

St Nicholas Owen SJ - Biography and Last Confession

In the Spiritual Exercises, St Ignatius gives us the idea of meeting sacred scripture with one's own life, mediated through Imaginative Contemplation. The aim of these reflections is to do this in tandem with pieces of art. Each month therefore, we will offer a painting in the hope that it will enable you to reflect more deeply on a particular passage of scripture. The idea is that you can return to the painting and scripture and discover more depth throughout the month.

Introduction to Praying with Art

“Walking with the Risen Christ – New Creation Retreat”, which offers daily scripture, reflections and music. This retreat is part of a developing ministry to promote and support young adults in their journey as missionary disciples, whose discipleship is formed and shaped by the central ideas of integral ecology as outlined in Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’.

Music: 'Light of the Heart' by Suzanne Teng, from 'Enchanted Wind'. (Licensed under a by-nc-sa license from Magnatune: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/1.0/legalcode)

Enchanted Wind

Light of the Heart

Music

Walking with the Risen Christ - New Creation retreat Introduction

Welcome to Healing Hands, our new prayer guide for healthcare workers.

You'll find two sessions: one for preparation before a shift and another as an Examen(a reflective prayer to look back over a day or shift).

Examen for after your shift (Female Voice)

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Examen for after your shift (Female Voice)

Pray as you go

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