
Bl. Ralph Sherwin
FREE Catholic Classes
English martyr, born 1550 at Rodesley, near Longford, Derbyshire; died at Tyburn, 1 December, 1581. In 1568 Sir William Petre nominated him to one of the eight fellowships which he had founded at Exeter College, Oxford, probably acting under the influence of the martyr's uncle, John Woodward, who from 1556 to 1566 had been rector of Ingatestone, Essex, where Sir William lived. There Blessed Ralph took the degree of M.A., 2 July, 1574, and was accounted "an acute philosopher, and an excellent Grecian and Hebrician". In 1575 he fled abroad and went to the English College at Douai, where 23 March, 1577, he was ordained priest by the Bishop of Cambrai. On 2 August, 1577, he left for Rome, where he stayed at the English College nearly three years, becoming leader of the movement, which placed it under the supervision of the Jesuits. On 18 April, 1580, he set out for England, a member of a party of fourteen; at Milan they were guests of St. Charles for eight days, and Blessed Ralph preached before him. On 9 November, 1580, he was imprisoned in the Marshalsea, where he converted many fellow prisoners, and on 4 December was transferred to the Tower, where he was severely racked, 15 December, and afterwards laid out in the snow. The next day he was racked again, after which second torture he "lay for five days and nights without any food or speaking to anybody. All which time he lay, as he thought in a sleep, before our Saviour on the Cross. After which time he came to himself, not finding any distemper in his joints by the extremity of the torture." After a year's imprisonment he was brought to trial, on an absurd charge of treasonable conspiracy, in Westminster Hall 20 November, 1581, and being found guilty was taken back to the Tower, whence he was drawn to Tyburn on a hurdle shared by Blessed Alexander Briant . He suffered very bravely, his last words being, Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, esto mihi Jesus!
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

-
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Pope Francis' Illness Forces Him to Hold Meetings at Casa Santa Marta
-
North America's Assisted Suicide Crisis Looms Over the U.K.: A Call for Mercy, Not Death
-
President Trump's Gaza Relocation Plan Faces Pushback from Church Leaders and Regional Governments
-
Pope Francis Praises Midwives and OB-GYNs for Their Compassionate and Sacred Role in Childbirth
-
President Trump Signs Executive Order to Protect Women's Sports
Daily Catholic
Daily Readings for Friday, February 07, 2025
St. Vincent Pallotti: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Prayer for Aborted Babies: Prayer of the Day for Wednesday, January 22, 2025
- Daily Readings for Thursday, February 06, 2025
- St. Agnes: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, January 21, 2025
- A Prayer for Friends and Benefactors: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.