John Cole (priest)

John Cole was an English Roman Catholic priest executed during the reign of Elizabeth I. He is venerated as a martyr by the Catholic Church.

Details regarding his life are somewhat scarce and often rely on accounts preserved through recusant Catholic circles. He was ordained a priest and ministered secretly in England, defying the laws forbidding Catholic priests from operating within the country. This activity, considered treasonous under Elizabethan law, made him a target for authorities.

Cole was arrested, likely while performing his priestly duties. He was tried and convicted of treason for being a Catholic priest in England. He was subsequently executed by hanging, drawing, and quartering, the standard punishment for treason at the time.

The exact date of his execution is debated amongst historians, but is commonly given as either 1598 or 1600. The precise location of his execution is also not definitively known, though it is believed to have been in London.

He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1987 as one of the Eighty-Five Martyrs of England and Wales. His feast day is celebrated on May 4th (along with other English martyrs).