Nicholas Owen
Jesuit lay brother and martyr
Feast: 22 March (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Nicholas Owen, probably a carpenter by trade, was a Jesuit lay brother who served the missionary priests for many years. His skill in building hiding places all over England saved the lives of many priests.
Imprisoned for declaring Campion innocent, he later escaped the Tower. Arrested at Hindlip Hall in 1606, he was racked with terrible cruelty and died under the torture, revealing nothing.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle. Canonised among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
Why that counted as sanctity
A humble builder of hiding places who died protecting priests.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Nicholas Owen
- Wikidata Q1985197 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Nicholas Owen (Jesuit) (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.