Saints' Days...

I get a little confused: I know that the feasts of the Beatified Martyrs of England and Wales (4th May) and the Forty Martyrs (the Canonised ones, 25th October) have been lumped together as the Martyrs of England & Wales, but I always forget on which day it is now celebrated.

Apparently, it should be the May date. Personally, I had no problem with a general separation of the canonised and the beatified martyrs (I believe that a miracle is needed before a Blessed can be elevated to a fully canonised saint), and I am unsure why today's celebration had to be scrapped - I mean, it's not as if it has had to be replaced by another saint's day...

However, as today was a feria, the parish Mass this morning was a votive one for the Forty Martyrs. Over at Owl of the Remove, the picture of the Forty Martyrs, painted for their Canonisation, was put up in their honour. It is one of my favourite pictures, and St. Anne Line, one of my patron saints, is shown... she's standing at the front left of the picture with keys hanging from her belt (she was housekeeper for Fr Gerard and kept a safehouse in London.)