English College, Valladolid
Encyclopedia
The Royal English and Welsh College, Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, under the patronage of St Alban, was founded in 1589 during the protestant reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
for the training of Catholic priests for the English and Welsh Mission.
Today, men of varying ages and backgrounds spend a Propadeutic Year in Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, to discern their vocation and begin formation for Catholic priesthood. They are exposed to spiritual and human formation, which roots their faith in Jesus Christ, and prepares them to go on to other seminaries either in the United Kingdom or Ireland--and some to Rome and other places.
Our Lady Vulnerata
The image of Our LadyBlessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)
Roman Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on Holy Scripture: In the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a virgin. The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honour as Mother of God...
venerated in the College Chapel is that of La Vulnerata, or The Wounded One. The story of the Vulnerata goes back centuries; but in 1596, as Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
was recovering from the defeat of the Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
and was gathering another fleet in the city of Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, the Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex is a title that has been held by several families and individuals. The earldom was first created in the 12th century for Geoffrey II de Mandeville . Upon the death of the third earl in 1189, the title became dormant or extinct...
together with Sir Walter Raleigh led an English fleet into the harbour, defeating the Spanish fleet and taking possession of the city. Some of the English troops started a riot and dragged a statue of the Virgin Mother and Child from a church to the market square where they desecrated it. They cut off both arms, and all that remained of the child were parts of his tiny feet on his mother’s knee. The mutilated statue was taken to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, and given a place of honour in a private chapel of a Countess. The priests and seminarians of the English and Welsh College in Valladolid asked the Countess if they might make reparation for the behaviour of their fellow countrymen who had desecrated the statue. She agreed and the statue was brought to Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
and installed with great solemnity in the College Chapel in 1600. Every year during Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
the statue is processed along the street, where it is met by a huge paso or float, which has a large depiction of the Crucified Christ resting on top of it. The two images meet, and dance to each other for a brief period--then the Vulnerata comes back to the College.
Prayer to Our Lady Vulnerata
Dear Mother, as I gaze on your wounded and mutilated image, I humbly beg your pardon for the grievous insults to you, great Mother of God. Help me to notice the wounded children of the world, and see your beauty in the faces of the poor and disfranchised. Let me love them better, as your Son commanded. I praise you through the faith, loyalty and blood of the missionaries who prayed for courage before your image, and I ask you to keep today’s missionaries in your loving care as they, too, carry the Good News throughout the world. AmenThe College Prayer
May Our Lady Vulnerata, and all our Martyr Saints intercede for us with the Lord that our students and benefactors past and present may be helped and saved by Him. Amen.College Martyrs
The following alumni of the College gave their lives as martyrsChristian martyrs
A Christian martyr is one who is killed for following Christianity, through stoning, crucifixion, burning at the stake or other forms of torture and capital punishment. The word "martyr" comes from the Greek word μάρτυς, mártys, which means "witness."...
for the Catholic Faith during the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in England and Wales:
- Saint Ambrose BarlowAmbrose BarlowAmbrose Edward Barlow, O.S.B., was an English Benedictine monk who is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. He is one of a group of saints canonized by Pope Paul VI who became known as the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales....
OSB - Saint Thomas GarnetThomas GarnetSaint Thomas Garnet was a Jesuit priest. He is the protomartyr of Saint Omer and therefore of Stonyhurst College. He was executed at Tyburn and is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.-Thomas Garnet's family:Thomas Garnet was born into a prominent family...
SJ - Saint John Lloyd
- Saint John PlessingtonJohn PlessingtonSt John Plessington , also known as John Plesington, William Scarisbrick and William Pleasington, is one of the Roman Catholic Forty Martyrs of England and Wales....
- Saint John RobertsSaint John RobertsSaint John Roberts was a Benedictine monk and priest, and was the first Prior of St. Gregory's, Douai, France...
OSB - Saint Henry WalpoleHenry Walpole-Early life:He was born at Docking, Norfolk, in 1558, the eldest son of Christopher Walpole, by Margery, heiress of Richard Beckham of Narford, and was educated at Norwich School, Peterhouse, Cambridge, and Gray's Inn. Converted to Roman Catholicism by the death of Saint Edmund Campion, he went by...
SJ
- Blessed Ralph AshleyRalph AshleyBlessed Ralph Ashley was an English Jesuit lay-brother who became involved with the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1929.-Life:...
SJ - Blessed Edward BamberEdward BamberEdward Bamber was an English Roman Catholic priest. He was beatified in 1987.-Life:...
- Blessed Mark BarkworthMark BarkworthMark Barkworth was a Catholic priest and martyr .He was born about 1572 at Searby in Lincolnshire. He studied for a time at Oxford, though no record remains of his stay there. He was received into the Catholic Church at Douai in 1593, by Father George, a Flemish Jesuit and entered the College...
OSB - Blessed Arthur Bell OSF
- Blessed Thomas Benstead
- Blessed Thomas BullakerThomas BullakerThomas Bullaker was an English Franciscan Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987.-Life:...
OSF - Blessed Roger CadwalladorRoger CadwalladorRoger Cadwallador was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987.-Life:...
- Blessed Ralph Corby SJ
- Blessed Robert Drury
- Blessed Roger Filcock SJ
- Blessed Thomas HollandThomas HollandThomas Holland may refer to:* Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent * Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent * Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey, also 3rd Earl of Kent, * Thomas Holland ,...
SJ - Blessed Thomas Palaser OSF
- Blessed Richard Reynolds
- Blessed William RichardsonWilliam Richardson-Irish politicians:*William Richardson , MP for Armagh and Hillsborough*William Richardson , MP for Augher*William Richardson , MP for Armagh*William Richardson , MP for Armagh...
- Blessed William SoutherneWilliam SoutherneWilliam Southerne was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987.-Life:...
- Blessed Thomas Whitaker
- Venerable Edward MorganEdward Morgan (priest)Edward Morgan was a Welsh Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr.-Life:...
SJ