St Cuthbert Mayne Church, Launceston by Chris Robinson
St Cuthbert Mayne Church in Launceston Cornwall is a place of prayer, pilgrimage, and community. It is dedicated to the first seminary priest martyred in England after the Reformation. The church invites all who visit to encounter the courageous faith of a saint who gave his life for Christ. The holy relic of St Cuthbert Mayne’s skull is a true treasure of the church, which makes Cuthbert Mayne’s story vivid and real to parishioners and pilgrims alike. The church offers a peaceful, prayerful space with a special chapel in Cuthbert Mayne’s honour. Pilgrims often visit to reflect on his life and seek his intercession for strength in their own faith journeys.
Born in 1544, Cuthbert Mayne was ordained a Catholic priest in Douai and returned to England to minister in secret. Arrested and condemned under anti-Catholic laws, he was executed in 1577. Canonised in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, his witness speaks powerfully to today’s faithful.
St Cuthbert Mayne Church, Launceston by Chris Robinson
As well as visiting the church and venerating the relic, many pilgrims follow a trail around the town to places associated with Cuthbert Mayne and other historical sites of interest, including:
–Launceston Priory. The Priory ruins we see today are all that remain of the original Priory. The Priory was founded in 1127 as a house of Augustinian canons, dedicated to St. Stephen the Proto-Martyr and consecrated in 1155. In the mid 1500’s, Launceston Priory was the wealthiest and largest religious house in Cornwall.
– Launceston Castle dungeon on the Castle Green where St Cuthbert was imprisoned for three months.
– Launceston town square and place of execution. In 2008 a memorial plaque was unveiled in the town square at the spot where he was executed.
– The Castle Exhibition which traces the Castle’s 1000-year history, is situated at the entrance to the English Heritage site of the castle on the Green. The exhibition includes a display and information about St Cuthbert. The Castle is where Cuthbert Mayne was tried.
More than a historical site, St Cuthbert Mayne Church is a vibrant parish, alive with prayer, welcome, community and outreach. Whether you come to pray, reflect, or walk in the footsteps of a martyr, this church offers a sacred space to find inspiration and to deepen your faith.
St Cuthbert Mayne, pray for us.
Please contact the parish to check opening times before visiting http://www.stcuthbertmayne.org.uk/