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James Bell (1524-20 April 1584) was an English Catholic priest and only one of the Marian Priests that is known to have suffered martyrdom.〔http://lastwelshmartyr.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/blessed-james-bell-marian-priest-and.html〕 He was born at Warrington in Lancashire, in 1524, was educated at Oxford University, where he was ordained priest in Queen Mary's reign. For some time he refused to conform to the alterations in religion made by Queen Elizabeth; but afterwards, adopting the tenets of the Reformation, he exercised the functions of a minister of the church of England for twenty years, and was beneficed in several parts of the kingdom. In 1581 he applied to a lady to solicit her good offices to procure for him a small readership, of which her husband was the patron. This lady, being a catholic, upbraided him with his cowardice, and exhorted him to lead a life in accordance with his sacred profession. Moved by her words he sought reconciliation with the Catholic Church in 1581, and laboured zealously as a priest for two years among the poorer class of Catholics, in nearly all of the Catholic Houses and Mass-centres in Lancashire, after "spending a year, or so, devoting himself to penance and spiritual exercises, applying himself to the study of the Breviary, the ceremonies of the Holy Mass, the Sacraments and the other duties of his priesthood".〔Myerscough, John. A (1958) '' A Procession of Lancashire Martyrs and Confessors, Burns and Oates, Glasgow〕 In January 1584 he was apprehended by a pursuivant at Golborne, and imprisoned in Salford Gaol.〔 He was later brought to trial at the Lent Assizes at Lancaster. He behaved with great courage, and on being convicted said to the judge : 'I beg your lordship would add to the sentence that my lips and the tops of my fingers may be cut off for having sworn and subscribed to the articles of heretics, contrary both to my conscience and to God's truth.'〔http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02411a.htm〕 He was executed, hanging and quartering, at Lancaster Castle 〔 on 20 April 1584. John Finch, a layman, suffered at the same time and place for being reconciled to the Catholic Church, and denying the Queen's spiritual supremacy. Fr.James Bell was among the 108 martyrs beatified by Pope Pius XI on 15 December 1929. ==Cult== Blessed James Bell is commorated on the Martyrs' Plaque in Lancaster Cathedral;〔http://billingtonlancaster.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/1584-blessed-james-bell-and-blessed.html〕 in a stained glass window of St. Mary's Church, Warrington;〔Wright, Tim & Jane (2015) ''St Mary's Priory Church, Warrington Guide Book''〕 and there is a statue of him in the Lady Chapel of St. Werburgh's Church, Birkenhead 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「James Bell (priest)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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