JOHN
465
JOHN
supper, and finally, after long hours of prayer, lay
down on tlie floor of his room, the only bed he knew.
He desired ardently to go to Canada, which at that
time was one of the missions of the Society of Jesus
where one ran the greatest risks. Having been re-
fused, he finally sought and obtained from the general
permission to spend six months of the year, and those
the terrible months of winter, on the missions of the
society. The remaintler of the time he devoted to the
most thankless labour in the cities, especially to the
rescue of public women, whom he helped to persevere
after their conversion by opening refuges for them,
where they found honest means of livelihood. This most
delicate of tasks absorbed a great part of his time and
caused him many annoyances, but his strength of soul
was above the dangers which he ran. Dissolute men
often presented a pistol at him or held a dagger to his
throat. He did not even change colour, and the
brightness of his countenance, his fearlessness, and the
power of his words caused them to drop the weapons
from their liands. He was more sensitive to that oppo-
sition which occasionally proceeded from those who
should have seconded his courage. His work among
penitents urged his zeal to enormous undertakings.
His superiors, as his first biographers candidly state,
did not always share his optimism, or rather his
imshaken faith in Providence, and it sometimes
happened that they were alarmed at his charitable
projects and manifested to him their disapproval.
This was the cross which caused the saint the greatest
suffering, but it was sufficient for him that obedience
spoke: he silenced all the murmurs of human nature,
and abandoned his most cherished designs. Seventy-
two years after his death a French ecclesiastic, who
lielieved he had a grievance against the Jesuits, circu-
lated the legend that towards the end of his life St.
Jolm Francis Regis had been expelled from the So-
ciety of Jesus. Many difl^erent accomits were given,
but finally the enemies of the Jesuits settled on the
version that the letter of the general announcing to
John his dismissal was sent from Rome, but that it
was late in reaching its destination, only arriving some
days after the death of the saint. This calumny will
not stand the slightest examination. (For its refuta-
tion see de Curley, "S. Jean-Francois R^gis ", 336-51;
more briefly and completely in "Analecta Bollan-
diana ", XIII, 7S-9.)
It was in the depth of winter, at la Louvesc, a poor hamlet of the mountains of Ardeche, after having spent with heroic courage the little strength that he had left, and while he was contemplating the conver- sion of the C^vennes, that the saint's death occurred, on 30 December, 16-40. There was no delay in order- ing canonical investigations. On 18 May, 1716, the decree of beatification was issued by Clement XI. On 5 April, 1737, Clement XII promulgated the decree of canonization. Benedict XIV established the feast-day for 16 June. But immediately after his death Regis was venerated as a saint. Pilgrims came in crowds to his tomb, and since then the concourse has only grown. Mention must be made of the fact that a visit rnade in 1804 to the blessed remains of the Apostle of Vivarais was the beginning of the vocation of the Blessed Cur6 of Ars, Jean-Baptiste Vianney, whom the Church has raised in his turn to her altars. "Everything good that I have done", he said when dying, "I owe to him" (de Curley, op. cit., 371). The place where Regis died has been transformed into a mortuary chapel. Near by is a spring of fresh water to \vhich those who are devoted to St. John Francis Regis attribute miraculous cures through his inter- cession. The old church of la Louvesc has received (ISSS) the title and privileges of a basilica. On this sacred site was founded in the beginning of the nine- teenth century the Institute of the Sisters of St. Regis, or Sisters of Retreat, better known under the name of the Religious of the Cenacle; and it was the memory VIII.— 30
of his merciful zeal in behalf of so many unfortunate
fallen women that gave rise to the now flom-isliing
work of St. Francis Regis, which is to provide for the
poor and working people who wish to marry, and
which is chiefly concerned with bringing illegitimate
unions into conformity with Divine and human laws.
Besides the biographies mentioned in C'arayon. Bibliographie
hiatorique de la Compagnie de Jesus, nn. 2442-84, must be
mentioned the more recent lives : de Curley. St-J ean-Fran-
(ois Regis (Lyons, 1893), which, together with Daubenton's
work — often reprinted — is the most complete histor>' of Regis-
Chos. Saint Jean-Frarifois Regis (Toulouse, 1894), in which the
new portion consists of unedited papers regarding the saint's
family. Among the early biographers Labkone, a pupil of the
saint, occupies an unparalleled place for the charm, the sincer-
ity, and the documentary value of the relation. His book ap-
peared in 1690, ten years after the death of the saint.
Fbancis Van Ortrot.
John Gualbert, Saint. See Vallombrosa.
John Hale, Blessed. See JoH^f Houghton, Blessed.
John Houghton, Blessed, protomartyr of the per- secution under Henry VIII, b. in Essex", 1487; d. at Tyburn, 4 May, 1535. He was educated at Cam- bridge, graduating LL.B. about 1497, and later LL.D. and D.D.; he was ordained priest in 1501 and entered the Carthusian novitiate at the London Charterhouse in 1505, where he was professed in 1516. He filled the office of sacristan, 1523-28; of procurator, 1.528-31; of prior of Beauvale, Nottinghamshire, from June to November, 1531 ; of prior of the London Charterhouse, 1531-35; and of provincial visitor, 1532-35. He was imprisoned in the Tower for about a month, with the procurator, Blessed Humphrey MidtUemore, for refus- ing to swear that the king's marriage with Queen Catharine was invalid, but took the oath of succession under the condition quatenus licilum esset, with some of his monks, 29 Ma}', 1534, the others being sworn 6 June. On or about 13 April, 1535, he was committed again to the Tower for refusing the oath of supremacy. With him were sent Blessed Robert Laurence, who had succeeded him as prior of Beauvale, and had pre- viously been chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk and then a monk of the London Charterhouse; and Blessed Augustine Webster, prior of Axholme, Lincolnshire, formerly a monk of Sheen. These priors, who were on a visit to the London Charterhouse, had not had the oath tendered to them, but were brought before the Rolls for that purpose on 20 April, and, on refusing it, were sent back to the Tower. There they were j oined by Blessed Richard Reynolds, a Brigittine of Syon, born about 1492, educated at Christ's and Corpus Christi colleges, Cambridge, Fellow of Corpus Christi, 1510, B.D. 1513, subsequently D.D. He became a Brigittine in 1513, and was considered one of the fore- most scholars of his day. All four were indicted 2S April, 1535, under 26 Henry VIII, c. 1, for refusing the oath of supremacy. The jury at first refused to find them guilty, but were intimidated by Cromwell into doing so the next day. All were hanged in their habits without being previously degraded, and all were disembowelled while fully conscious, Houghton being the first to suffer and Reynolds the last.
With them died a secular priest. Blessed John Hale, LL.B., Fellow of King's Hall, Cambridge, and Vicar of Isleworth, Middlesex, since 13 August, 1521. He took this living in exchange for the Rectory of Cranford, Middlesex, which he had held since 11 September, 1505. There is nothing to identify him with the Rec- tor of Chelmsford of 1492. He may possibly be the person of this name who became scholar of Eton in 1485. He was indicted 20 April, 1535, with the per- petual curate of Teddington, Micldlesex, nametl Rob- ert Feron, for offences against 25 Henry VIII, c. 22. Both pleaded guilty and were condemned; but Feron was pardoned. Hale was the fourth to suffer.
Camm. Liirsof the English Mnrhjrs (London, 1904-0,5), 1, 1-36; Hendriks, The London Charterhouse (London, 1889), passim;
