Peter Snow (priest)
Encyclopedia
Peter Snow was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, along with Ralph Grimston who died with him, beatified in 1987. Liturgical celebration is on 15 June.
and arrived at the English College, Reims
, 17 April 1589. He received the first tonsure
and minor orders
18 August 1590, the subdiaconate at Laon
on 22 September, and the diaconate and priesthood at Soissons
on 30 and 31 March 1591.
He left for England on the following 15 May. He was arrested about 1 May 1598, when on his way to York with Ralph Grimston of Nidd
. Both were shortly after condemned by representatives of a virulently anti-Catholic government (headed by Elizabeth I). Fr. Snow was convicted of treason
because he was a Catholic priest and Grimston of felony
, for having aided and assisted Snow, a Catholic priest.
, near Tadcaster
. At the time they were thought to be relic
s of two other English martyrs, John Lockwood
and Edmund Catherick
and the skulls were placed in a niche near the altar. In 1909 it was stated that they were the relics of Peter Snow and Ralph Grimston. This identification was accepted.
In 2005 Arthur Roche
, Bishop of Leeds, decided to place relics in Leeds Cathedral
altar. He ordered reconstruction of their faces using the latest techniques from the University of Dundee
. The reconstructed face pictures of Blessed Fr.Peter Snow and Ralph Grimston can be found on Leeds Cathedral webpage. The story of reconstraction was covered in BBC's Inside Out
. In 2008, Fr.Robert Barron released video comments on A Tale of Two Skullshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG0d9jE_7iw.
Life
He was born at or near RiponRipon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
and arrived at the English College, Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, 17 April 1589. He received the first tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
and minor orders
Minor orders
The minor orders are the lowest ranks in the Christian clergy. The most recognized minor orders are porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte. In the Latin rite Catholic Church, the minor orders were in most cases replaced by "instituted" ministries of lector and acolyte, though communities that use...
18 August 1590, the subdiaconate at Laon
Laon
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
on 22 September, and the diaconate and priesthood at Soissons
Soissons
Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
on 30 and 31 March 1591.
He left for England on the following 15 May. He was arrested about 1 May 1598, when on his way to York with Ralph Grimston of Nidd
Nidd
Nidd is a small village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated 3 miles north of Harrogate and near the River Nidd.-External links:...
. Both were shortly after condemned by representatives of a virulently anti-Catholic government (headed by Elizabeth I). Fr. Snow was convicted of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
because he was a Catholic priest and Grimston of felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
, for having aided and assisted Snow, a Catholic priest.
Relics in Leeds Cathedral
In 1845 two skulls (Peter Snow and Ralph Grimston) were discovered under the stone floor of the ancient chapel of Hazlewood CastleHazlewood Castle
Hazlewood Castle is a country residence situated in North Yorkshire, England by the A1 and A64 between Aberford and Tadcaster.The first records of the house are to be found in the Domesday Book...
, near Tadcaster
Tadcaster
Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. Lying on the Great North Road approximately east of Leeds and west of York. It is the last town on the River Wharfe before it joins the River Ouse about downstream...
. At the time they were thought to be relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s of two other English martyrs, John Lockwood
John Lockwood (priest)
John Lockwood was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1929.-Life:...
and Edmund Catherick
Edmund Catherick
Edmund Catherick was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1929.-Life:...
and the skulls were placed in a niche near the altar. In 1909 it was stated that they were the relics of Peter Snow and Ralph Grimston. This identification was accepted.
In 2005 Arthur Roche
Arthur Roche
Arthur Roche is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Bishop of Leeds.-Early life and ministry:...
, Bishop of Leeds, decided to place relics in Leeds Cathedral
Leeds Cathedral
Leeds Cathedral, formally The Cathedral Church of St Anne, commonly known as Saint Anne's Cathedral, is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Diocese of Leeds, and is the seat of the Bishop of Leeds. It is in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
altar. He ordered reconstruction of their faces using the latest techniques from the University of Dundee
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
. The reconstructed face pictures of Blessed Fr.Peter Snow and Ralph Grimston can be found on Leeds Cathedral webpage. The story of reconstraction was covered in BBC's Inside Out
Inside Out (BBC TV series)
Inside Out is the brand name for a number of regional television programmes in England broadcast on BBC One. Each series, made by a BBC region, focuses on stories from the local area...
. In 2008, Fr.Robert Barron released video comments on A Tale of Two Skullshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG0d9jE_7iw.