John Boste

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Saint John Boste
Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
Born	1544, Westmoreland
Died	July 24, 1594
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	1929 by Pope Pius XI
Canonized	1970 by Pope Paul VI
Feast	July 24
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Saint John Boste (c.1544- July 24, 1594 is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

John Boste was born in Westmoreland around 1544. He studied at Queen's College, Oxford where he became a Fellow. He converted to Catholicism in 1576. He left England and was ordained a priest at Reims in 1581, before returning as an active missionary priest to Northern England. He was betrayed to the authorities near Durham in 1593. Following his arrest he was taken to the Tower of London for interrogation. Returned to Durham he was condemned by the Assizes and executed at nearby Dryburn on 24 July 1594. Boste denied that he was a traitor saying "My function is to invade souls, not to meddle with temporal invasions".

John Boste was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929. He was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Their joint feast day is kept on October 25. His memorial is kept on the day of his execution, July 24.