Today we celebrate the feast of St Alban, the first martyr of England. He proved to be the first of many who would give their lives for Christ in this country. The Cathedral has a stained glass window of the English martyrs - though in this case they are all post-reformation - from left to right, St John Fisher, St Thomas More, Blessed John Houghton, St Cuthbert Mayne. Even in our own city many gave their lives for the faith. The feast of the Lancaster martyrs is kept on 7th August, and is one of the high points of the summer liturgical calendar in Lancaster.