
30/06/2025
In the perilous time of Elizabeth England, a Catholic carpenter was - in many cases - all that stood between priests and persecution.
St Nicholas Owen may not have seemed like much, given his short stature which earned him the nickname "Little John". He wasn't even a priest. And yet, he used his skills for the glory of God and changed history because of it.
Trusted by priests, including Fr Henry Garnet, the English superior of the Jesuits, Owen was humble and discreet, never boasting about his work or sharing the secrets of what he did.
In 1606, after a search of Hindlip Hall, Owen was arrested and tortured for information. He never gave anything away and shockingly tied from
the torture.
Honoured among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, St Nicholas Owen was formally recognised as a saint in 1970 when he was canonised by Pope St Paul VI.
Discover the fascinating and lesser-known life of St Nicholas Owen in our book on his life, part of our new Deeper Reads collection: https://loom.ly/9SEwhNo