Not too much is known of Saint John of Beverley, who died on this May 7th in 721, and whose birthdate is uncertain. He was one of the most learned men of his age, and amongst his numerous students was none other than Saint Bede the Venerable, whom he ordained. John, an excellent preacher and administrator, with a great devotion to his duties and to the poor, was made bishop of Hexham and of York, and is reputed the founder of the city of Beverley, when he established a monastery therein. And it was to that monastery that he retired and died. He was canonized in 1037, and his tomb in Beverley became one of the primary pilgrimage sites in England, with kings galore seeking his intercession, and miracles abounded.
Like almost every other shrine in England, Saint John of Beverly’s was destroyed by order of Henry VIII, in 1541. Yet in 1664, workmen found, under the rubble, Saint John’s original tomb, which has since been restored. May we seek his intercession that England find her way back to the one, true Faith, which is, and always has been, her glory.
