Hi everyone

[triumphguy]

Expat Brit living in Canada here.

Born in Manchester, lived for a few years in Cheshire, went to University in London.

Sometimes I miss England a great deal: like today!

I fly the flag everyday by riding my Triumph Bonneville!

[Pearl of Tyburn]

Welcome, triumphguy!

So, you went from the borderlands (Manchester) to cheese country (Cheshire) to the capital (London) and then to the Wild West (O Canada)! Impressive

So, what are some of your interests in regards to British history and culture? How did you come to locate our group?

We'll try to make you fell right at home

God Bless,
Pearl

[triumphguy]

Hi Pearl:

There was a very strong Catholic faith in Cheshire/Lancashire that survived the Reformation. I'm just becoming more aware of the English Martyrs. And I'm realising that I lived near where St. Ambrose Barlow lived and preached (I lived near Barlow Moor Rd)

Part of my family was always Catholic despite the persecutions. These saints and faithful ancestors inspire me today, especially in the times we live in now.

[Pearl of Tyburn]

Hello, again, triumphguy!

So are you saying that you are part of a recusant family and held on to the faith through the persacution? What an honor to make your aquaintance! I would love to visit Cheshire and Lancashire one day.

So tell me about some of the landmakrs in your area. I know a few friends who came from Lancashire, both Protestant. One is an Anglican Vicar and the other is an Orange soldier! So is there a more Catholic section, or is everyone blended together at this point?

I'd like you to invite you to visit my blog (link is below). It deals with lots of stuff about Britain and the Catholic faith. I'd love your comments on any of the posts that strike your interest.

God Bless,
Pearl of Tyburn

[triumphguy]

Hi Pearl of Tyburn:

One of the Churches near where we lived was St. Ambrose Barlow, who suffered a horrific and humiliating martyrdom being hung, drawn and quartered. His head was impaled on a staff and his jaw bone removed as a relic. It now resides in the parish Church as a relic.

Another Church was called the Hidden Gem (St. Mary;s RC Church Manchester) . It was the first Catholic Church built after the restoration of Catholicism in England.

Check out the website: it's a beautiful Church: http://hiddengem.catholicfaith.co.uk/home2.html

This is the High Altar


Shrine of Our Lady of Manchester:

[Edmundus1581]

Welcome, TriumphGuy, and thanks for the interesting information about your family history and locality! The 16th century recusants are inspiring people.

Thanks also for the beautiful pictures. If I'm ever in Manchester I'll make a point of visiting it.

[triumphguy]

Thanks Edmundus.

The other side of my family were equally committed to their religion - they were Orange Order Loyalists, and a great grandfather of mine was the Grand Master of an Orange Lodge.

Both my grandfathers were protestant, but both became Catholic in order to marry the women they loved, and both were shunned by their family after that.

Both men became very devout Catholics despite the obstacles.

[Pearl of Tyburn]

Hi, triumphguy and Edmundus.

I agree with you, Ed.....Those are glorious photos! Thank you, T. G., for posting them. I never heard of Our Lady of Manchester before. Now I've looked up the church history and am amazed. So the site where this church was built was the site of recusant Catholic worship as far back as 1774? Wow! Did you used to go to mass there?

That's fascinating about part of your family being Orange. Your grandfathers were very courageous to convert. As I said, I have a friend whose family is very Orange. He's from Lancashire. One of my great-great grandfathers was an Anglo-Dutch Protestant who converted to Catholicism in order to marry my Irish Catholic great-great grandmother. His last name was Castmore.

[triumphguy]

I have been to mass there (at St. Mary's), but have only more recently come to appreciate what a treasure it is.

Lancashire was a hot bed bed for a number of reasons.

Liverpool was where the Irish Catholics landed - some went onwards to the rest of the world (America, Australia, Canada etc), and many stayed.

In Liverpool the Orange Order was strong in order to oppose the Irish immigrants.

Protesantism was strong in Lancashire too

http://www.manchesterorange.co.uk/History

and lots of Catholic martyrs were executed at Lancaster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxuP7z0scYo

[triumphguy]

St Edmund Arrowsmith, English Martyr, priest, executed in Lancaster , Catholic Saint.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=n3wQlCUcZ-4

[Edmundus1581]

Thanks Triumphguy.

I've looked at the links about the Orange men, and St Edmund Arrowsmith. It was interesting to see that there is still very active support for the Act of Settlement (1701), which barred Roman Catholics from the throne, in parts of England. It was also interesting to see the background behind it (James II), and to discover that the Orange title comes from William of Orange.

The Orange men's page includes some interesting and notable people. I won't detract from their sincerity and service to England. I do have some respect for those who are either hot or cold, rather than lukewarm. The page heavily promotes the "Reformed" and "Protestant" religions. I wonder whether to them it's still mainly an issue of religious conviction, or just a more primitive anti-Catholic and anti-Irish prejudice.

St Edmund Arrowsmith is a worth inspiration for this forum!

Edmundus

[triumphguy]

He is. Sadly I've only just begun to research the English Martyrs - we should have been taught about them from a young age!

They were remarkable as a group and as individuals.

[Pearl of Tyburn]

The Orangmen are a mixed lot I would think. Some remain a part of the society more out of family tradition than any real belief in the staunch Protestantism associated with it. Others are fiercely and actively anti-Catholic and anti-Irish for reasons of deep personal hatred. Still others are somewhere in between, still trying make sense out of hand-me-down prejudices and settle old scores. I pray that will all come to see the light some day.

I agree with you, Edmundus, that passion in any direction is often more tolerable than indifference towards everything. However, the English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh martyrs who were hanged and hacked up may have wished their staunch Protestant persacuters were in a state of pacifistic religious intertia!

Indeed, St. Edmund Arrowsmith, ora pro nobis! I'm sure he and St. Edmund Campion are great friends in heaven

[GWright]

Hello and a (belated) welcome triumph guy!

[triumphguy]

Thanks