The Light of Wales in a Time of Darkness

The story of Saints Philip Evans and John Lloyd is a tale of two courageous priests who lived in an age when Catholicism was criminalized, priesthood was punishable by death, and faith was tested not in public arenas but in prisons and hidden chapels. These two Welsh martyrs did not convert entire nations or build cathedrals—but what they did do was perhaps more profound: they remained faithful. Their sanctity lay in quiet perseverance, loving service, and steadfast courage. In the shadow of political lies and violent persecution, they became beacons of Christ’s light. Their canonization in 1970 as part of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales lifted their names from historical obscurity into the radiant cloud of witnesses who inspire the Church today. They remind us that holiness is not about recognition but about fidelity to God in all circumstances.

Formed in the Furnace of Exile

Both Philip Evans and John Lloyd were born in 17th-century Wales, a land where the Catholic faith had been driven underground by the Protestant Reformation and the anti-Catholic laws that followed. Saint Philip was born in Monmouthshire in 1645 to a devout Catholic family. He was educated at the English Jesuit College of Saint-Omer in France, a haven for Catholics who could not be formed in their homeland. Inspired by the missionary spirit of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, he entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained in 1675. His return to Wales that same year was not a step backward but a bold mission forward—he was returning as a spiritual commando, sent behind enemy lines to minister in secret.

Saint John Lloyd, born around 1630 in Brecknockshire, also studied abroad at the English College in Valladolid, Spain. A secular priest, he returned to Wales after ordination to care for the Catholic faithful scattered across the countryside. Though his path was quieter than Fr. Evans’s more outgoing personality, he was deeply devoted and endured over 20 years of underground ministry. Unlike many converts, these men were born into the faith—but in choosing the priesthood amid danger, they embraced a radical re-conversion of their lives to Christ’s mission. They chose Christ above career, safety, or worldly acceptance. They became living icons of what The Catechism calls “apostolic courage,” the grace to witness even unto death (cf. CCC 2473).

Silent Shepherds, Fearless in Faith

The lives of these two martyrs were marked not by fame or dramatic gestures but by the hidden heroism of daily fidelity. Saint Philip Evans was known for his warm personality, joy, and intellect. He spoke both English and Welsh fluently and was deeply committed to educating children in the faith and administering the sacraments under cover of secrecy. His ability to lift the spirits of others—even during imprisonment—was so remarkable that guards and prisoners alike were drawn to him. His love for tennis and the violin made him human and relatable, but his true passion was the souls of his people.

Saint John Lloyd, more reserved by temperament, served in the wilderness of South Wales. For 24 years he walked from village to village, celebrating Mass in barns, hearing confessions in whispers, and baptizing the young in secret. Though no spectacular miracles are attributed to them during their lifetimes, their entire lives were living miracles of endurance, holiness, and pastoral love in a hostile world. Their very presence as Catholic priests was, in the eyes of the regime, a criminal act—yet they pressed on, clothed not in armor, but in grace.

Their impact was not in the number of conversions or public victories, but in showing that the Church of Christ could not be crushed—not by laws, not by lies, not even by death. They were spiritual lifelines to a hidden Catholic population, administering the sacraments and strengthening the faithful under threat of imprisonment or worse. In this, they fulfilled Christ’s words: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (The Gospel of John 10:11).

In Chains for Christ

The final chapter of their earthly lives began in late 1678, during the fever of the Popish Plot—a fictitious conspiracy fabricated by Titus Oates that claimed Catholics were planning to assassinate King Charles II. Though the plot was baseless, it unleashed a wave of arrests and executions. Saint John Lloyd was captured first, betrayed while staying with a Catholic family. Saint Philip Evans was arrested a few weeks later in the act of catechizing children, a detail that highlights his unwavering devotion to pastoral ministry even amid danger.

Both men were imprisoned in Cardiff Castle. Though kept in separate cells, they maintained a holy friendship, praying for one another and offering encouragement when possible. Fr. Evans brought his violin into prison and continued to play music to lift the morale of the prisoners. His joy was so evident that the jailers themselves noted his peace.

When the death sentence was finally handed down in July 1679, Fr. Evans responded with cheerful courage, exclaiming, “What! Am I to die already? Alas! I had hoped to live a few days longer for the sake of my people!” On July 22, both men were led to the gallows at Gallows Field, Cardiff. Fr. Lloyd, weakened by mistreatment, was hanged, drawn, and quartered. Fr. Evans, despite being offered his life in exchange for renouncing his priesthood, refused and met the same gruesome fate. Before his death, he declared: “I die for the love of my God, for Jesus Christ, and for His Church.”

Their martyrdom is a sobering reminder of the cost of discipleship. Yet their deaths were not tragedies—they were triumphs. Their blood, like that of the early martyrs, became the seed of future faith in Wales.

Signs and Legacy

Although no physical miracles after their deaths have been formally recorded in the canonization process, the enduring devotion to Saints Philip Evans and John Lloyd is miraculous in itself. For centuries, the memory of their faith endured in a land that had sought to forget it. The Church in Wales, once a hunted remnant, grew strong again. Their canonization by Pope Paul VI in 1970 acknowledged not only their individual holiness but also the entire persecuted Church in the British Isles that clung to Christ through centuries of repression.

Today, churches, schools, and Catholic institutions across Wales honor their memory. Pilgrims visit Cardiff, where their blood once soaked the earth, now sanctified by their witness. Their names are spoken with reverence during the annual pilgrimages honoring the Forty Martyrs, and their feast day—July 22—reminds us that the power of God works most strongly through those the world tries to silence.

Their relics, though scarce, are venerated in various locations, and their stories continue to inspire vocations, conversions, and renewals of faith across the English-speaking Catholic world. Their lives shine as enduring beacons of “the patient endurance of the saints” (Revelation 14:12).

What They Teach Us Still

What does it mean to remain faithful when the world punishes faith? What does courage look like in a culture hostile to Christ? Saints Philip Evans and John Lloyd answer these questions not with sermons, but with blood. Their witness challenges us not to compromise, not to hide, and not to despair. They teach us that joy can live even in a prison cell, that priesthood is a gift worth dying for, and that the Church will always endure—even in exile.

Their lives invite us to reclaim our own vocations with courage. Are we called to teach our children the faith, like Fr. Evans? Are we called to walk with quiet endurance like Fr. Lloyd? Are we willing to suffer ridicule for the sake of Christ and His Church?

In today’s culture, persecution may not come through swords or prisons, but through mockery, misunderstanding, or marginalization. Still, the call is the same: to remain faithful. As The Catechism reminds us, “Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith: it means bearing witness even unto death” (CCC 2473). Let us ask for their intercession today—that we, too, may be brave in love, joyful in suffering, and unshakable in our fidelity to Christ.

Engage with Us!

Have these saints inspired you? Are you facing your own “quiet martyrdom” in your family, workplace, or friend group? Let’s grow together as a community of faithful Catholics.

Reflection Questions:

1. What fears or comforts hold me back from living my faith boldly, like Saints Philip and John?
2. How can I support and pray for priests and religious who risk much for the sake of Christ?
3. What might God be calling me to do today that requires courage and trust in His providence?

Share your thoughts in the comments! Let’s support one another in our walk of faith and strive to do everything with love, as our Lord Jesus did.

Saints Philip Evans & John Lloyd, pray for us! ✝️

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