John Sugar or Suker (1558 – 16 July 1604) was an English Catholic priest killed by the English crown in 1604. He was

beatified Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the ...

as a martyr in 1987.

Life

He matriculated at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

from St. Mary's Hall of

Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, ...

, 30 October 1584, and is described as the son of a priest (). He left without taking a degree, it is said because he disliked the

Oath of Supremacy The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public or church office in the Kingdom of England, or in its subordinate Kingdom of Ireland, to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church. Failure to do so was to be trea ...

; but it appears that he acted as a Protestant minister at

Cannock Cannock () is a town in the Cannock Chase district in the county of Staffordshire, England. It had a population of 29,018. Cannock is not far from the towns of Walsall, Burntwood, Stafford and Telford. The cities of Lichfield and Wolverhampton ...

, Staffordshire, for some time. He was ordained a priest from the

English College, Douai The English College ( French: ''College des Grands Anglais'') was a Catholic seminary in Douai, France (also previously spelled Douay, and in English Doway), associated with the University of Douai. It was established in 1568, and was suppresse ...

(1601), and sent on the mission the same year. He was arrested on 8 July 1603, at Rowington, Warwickshire, with Robert Grissold, a native of Rowington (in the service of William Sheldon of

Broadway, Worcestershire Broadway is a large village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cotswolds, England, with a population of 2,540 at the 2011 census. It is in the far southeast of Worcestershire, close to the Gloucestershire border, midway between ...

), who was in attendance on him. He was not accused of any specific act of

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

, but simply of acting as a priest in England, contrary to the Jesuits, etc. Act 1584, which was reinforced by a second statute of 1604. After a year's imprisonment at Warwick, they were condemned there on 14 July, Sugar for being a priest, and Grissold for assisting him. Sugar was cut down before he was fully dead. Grissold was offered his life if he would promise to conform to the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

. Sugar endured his fearful death with exemplary courage: at one point during his ordeal, he said "I shall soon be above the sun", and later "after a sharp dinner I shall have a sweet supper".

Legacy

He and his companion Grissold were beatified on 22 November 1987 by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

along with eighty-three others. Their joint feast day is every 16 July. There is a painting depicting him before his execution by Rebecca Dering, along with a fresco of him and his companion at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sugar, John 1558 births 1604 deaths English beatified people 17th-century venerated Christians Eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales 16th-century English Roman Catholic priests 17th-century English Roman Catholic priests People from South Staffordshire District

Life

Legacy

See also

References