John Fisher

Saint John Fisher was born around October 19, 1469, in Beverley, Yorkshire, England, and from an early age showed a keen love for learning and the things of God. Sent to the University of Cambridge as a boy, he became a priest in 1491 and soon emerged as a gifted theologian, preacher, and reform-minded pastor. As chaplain to Lady Margaret Beaufort, he helped foster a renewal of Christian scholarship, supporting the foundations of Christ’s and St John’s Colleges and encouraging the study of Scripture and the classical languages for the service of the Church. In 1504 he was appointed Bishop of Rochester, the poorest diocese in England, and he chose to remain there faithfully for more than three decades. A man of austere prayer and clear doctrine, he defended the sacraments and opposed the errors spreading in his day. During Henry VIII’s break with Rome, Fisher refused to accept the king as head of the Church in England, upholding the Pope’s spiritual authority and the Church’s freedom. Named a cardinal shortly before his death, he was executed on June 22, 1535, and is venerated as a martyr. He is patron of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. His feast day is June 22.