Who is St. Edmund Campion

St. Edmund Campion is the Patron of our school and a shining example of God's call to those gifted with education.

Before becoming a Roman Catholic Priest Edmund Campion was a rising star in the English academic world. His rhetorical skill was put on display during his time at St. John's College Oxford to entertain Elizabeth I Queen of England and Head of the Anglican Church. His career and prospects were enhanced by the patronage for Robert Cecil and the Earl of Leicester. Campion's renown continued to grow and he was made a deacon in the church of England before doubt set in and altered his path permanently. When Campion returned to Catholicism he was forced to flee Ireland, where he had relocated to study and write, by the growing ferocity of the English oppression of Catholicism. After leaving Ireland Campion joined the growing number of English Catholic refugees at Douai in France intent on becoming a Catholic priest and returning to his beloved England to offer the Sacraments and succor of Holy Mother Church to those Catholics still living under the Anglican oppression. Campion joined the Jesuits and started his long journey back to England. Campion taught at the college of Prague and was ordained while assigned there in 1578. Campion was among the first members of the Jesuit order selected for the English mission and departed for his home country in 1580. Campion's time in England was short but eventful. Campion penned several widely circulated rebuttals to the Anglican decent from Catholicism most famously his "Ten Reasons" and "Brag". The Brag was intended to serve as his last witness should he be captured by the priest hunters but was published early sparking one of the most extensive manhunts in English history. Eventually Campion was captured by priest hunters and when he refused substantial inducements to denounce his faith he was tortured and forced to participate in show debates. After repeated attempts to break him physically and spiritually failed to separate Campion from his faith the Crown sentenced him to death on the charge of treason for being a Catholic priest. On December first fifteen eighty one Campion was hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn enshrining him as a martyr for the Catholic faith. Campion was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI as one of forty Martyrs of England and Wales, his feast day is December first.