Saint Nicholas Owen

I was born in Oxford, UK at a time when Christians were persecuted. I was raised in a devout family and was trained as a carpenter. I was a Jesuit lay brother at a time when Christians,and  especially Catholic priests were persecuted. I put my carpentry skills to use in building 'priest holes' or hiding places in the houses of Catholics all over the country. I spent years doing hard physical labour in cramped spaces, often alone and at night to avoid discovery. In 1597 I helped to plan the famous escape from the Tower of London of two Jesuit priests. Eventually I was caught and tortured by the authorities in 1606. The tortures were terrible, including body hanging. I died broken apart by tortures, but I never revealed the names or hiding places of my brothers.