Why was Margaret Clitherow a martyr?

Answer 1

Because she put her faith first. At the time of Queen Elizabeth Catholic weren't allowed to go to mass and priests weren't allowed to hold mass or preach. If you were found with a priest in your home or had any things in your home which was for intent to hold mass you could be tortured and put to death. But this didn't stop Margaret Clitherow, her house was a stop for priests and she made a priest hole where priests could hid in in case of a raid from the common council. She always tried to help Catholics and always did what the Lord wanted. But she paid for it with her life. She was searched because her house had become under suspicion, the council found vestments and a chalice and a priest hole. She was put in front of a judge but didn't plead for a proper trial in front of a jury because she was scared her children would have to witness and be tortured. The penalty for not pleading fr a trial was death. She was sentenced to being executed by being crushed. She died in march on Good Friday. She was stripped and put on top of a small sharp rock. A door was then put on top of her and rocks were slowly put onto her crushing her. The small rock under her broke her spin. Her death lasted 15 minuted but the weight was not lifted until 6 hours later. Her hand was said to be cut of and held in st. Marys as a relic. She was canonised (made a saint) in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. After Queen Elizabeth found out what happened she wrote a letter saying how horrified she was about her death.