Npostolic Delegate leads pilgrimage
THE Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Godfrey, addressini thousands of pilgrims who were honouring Blessed Cuthberi Mayne on the Castle Green at 1.aunceston on Sunday said " Across the centuries the Holy See has come back to this spot
to pay tribute to the martyr.
" I think that he is rejoicing that the representative of the Pope is here this afternoon to take part in the proceedings." Blessed Cuthbert. proto-martyr of
the English seminaries, was hanged. drawn and quartered in this Cornish town in 1577.
Pilgrimages in his honour were begun about 30 years ago.
Archbishop Godfrey was accompanied by the Bishop of Plymouth, Mgr. Grimshaw, Abbot Fehrenbacher, of Buckfast, and numerous priests.
He blessed the assembly with a relic of the martyr-a portion of his skull bearing the mark of a pike.
This had been brought front Lanherne Carmelite Convent, and borne in the procession on a flower-decked bier.
The Archbishop said that Blessed Cuthbert Mayne was given a special place in the list Of martyrs because he was the lirst of the long line of seminary priests who !aid down their lives that the Faith might not be destroyed in the land.
Died at 33
Queen Elizabeth had set out to destroy the Catholic Church, but she failed because men like Cuthbert Mayne would rather die than hand themselves oeer, body and soul, to any earthly sovereign.
From the seminaries across the seas, the Delegate recalled, no less than 1,064 priests were sent to this country in a period of 70 years.
Cuthbert Mayne had a short life -as long as that of Christ Himself.
He lived until he was 33 and his public ministry was less than three years before being arrested in the house of a friend.
Those who read the indictment read it with increasing amazement that there shouid have been such a travesty of justice in this land.
Blessed Cuthbert had gone to pxford to study for the Anglican ministry, hut had come to the conclusion that he was travelling the wrong road, and accordingly went to Douai to be trained in the Faith for which he died.