Blessed William Greenwood was one of the eighteen Carthusian Martyrs put to death by Henry VIII between 1535 and1537. Whereas the first martyrs were hanged, drawn (i.e. disemboweled while still alive) and then quartered, the fourth and final group of martyrs, one of whom was Greenwood, were simply chained with their hands behind their backs in a cell in London’s Newgate Prison and left to die of starvation. Blessed William Greenwood died on this day in 1537. Forgotten by the orcs of modern England, he has his eternal reward.

Blessed William Greenwood, who laid down your life rather than render unto Caesar that which is God’s, pray that we may have the courage to defend the Church against those modern Caesars who are seeking to destroy her. Amen.