The Past is Already Written

“There are few people whom I really love and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813)

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Chocolate (JTBC, 2019-2020) 💕

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SAINT OF THE DAY (July 10)

St. Amalberga, otherwise known as Amelia, was born at Brabantrelated and was, in some way, related to Pepin of Landen.

Whether she was a sister or niece, the Bollandists are not sure.

She was married to Witger and became the mother of three saints: Gudila, Reinelda, and Emembertus.

The Norman chroniclers speak of her as having been married twice, which seems to be erroneous, nor are Pharailda and Ermelende admitted by the Bollandists to have been her children.

She and her husband ultimately withdrew from the world. He becoming a monk, and she a nun.

There is very great confusion in the records of this saint and of a virgin who came a century after.

To add to the difficulty, a third St. Amalberga, also a virgin, appears in the twelfth century.

The first two are celebrated simultaneously on July 10.

She died in 690 and is buried beside her husband at the Lobbes monastery.

Her relics have been interred since 1073 in Saint Peter's Abbey Church in Ghent, Belgium.

She is known to protect people against arm pain, bruises, and fever.

In art, she is represented holding a palm and open book with a crown at her feet, standing on a giant sturgeon or other fish.

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Gaynor Sullivan MBE (née Hopkins; 8 June 1951 – 8 July 2026), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, was a Welsh singer and songwriter.

Known for her distinctive husky voice, she came to prominence with the release of her debut studio album The World Starts Tonight (1977) and its singles "Lost in France" and "More Than a Lover."

Her 1977 single "It's a Heartache" reached number four on the UK singles chart and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Tyler was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to music.

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SAINTS OF THE DAY (July 9)

On July 9, the Church celebrates the feast of the 120 Martyrs of China.

Religious persecution has a long history in China, especially persecution of Christians, thousands of whom have died for their faith in the last millennium.

On 1 October 2000, Pope John Paul II canonised 120 men, women, and children who gave their lives for the faith in China between the years 1648 and 1930.

The martyrs include 87 native Chinese and 33 foreign missionaries. The majority were killed during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900.

“Chinese men and women of every age and state, priests, religious and lay people, showed the same conviction and joy, sealing their unfailing fidelity to Christ and the Church with the gift of their lives,” said the Holy Father during the canonisation.

“Resplendent in this host of martyrs are also the 33 missionaries who left their land and sought to immerse themselves in the Chinese world, lovingly assimilating its features in the desire to proclaim Christ and to serve those people.”

Of the 33 foreign-born missionaries, most were priests and religious, including members of the Order of Preachers, Friars Minor, Jesuits, Salesians, and Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.

One of the more well-known native martyrs was a 14-year-old Chinese girl named Ann Wang, who was killed during the Boxer Rebellion when she refused to apostasize.

She bravely withstood the threats of her torturers, and just as she was about to be beheaded, she radiantly declared, “The door of heaven is open to all” and repeated the name of Jesus three times.

Another of the martyrs was 18-year-old Chi Zhuzi, who had been preparing to receive the sacrament of Baptism when he was caught on the road one night and ordered to worship idols.

He refused to do so, revealing his belief in Christ. His right arm was cut off and he was tortured, but he would not deny his faith.

Rather, he fearlessly pronounced to his captors, before being flayed alive:

“Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian.”

Augustine Zhao Rong was the first native Chinese priest to become a martyr. Born in 1746, he was served as one of the soldiers who escorted Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse to his martyrdom in Beijing.

The witness of the bishop led Augustine to seek baptism at age 30. He was ordained a priest five years later and was martyred in 1815.

During the Canonisation Mass, Pope John Paul II thanked God for blessing the Church with the heroic witness of the 120 martyrs, whom he called “an example of courage and consistency to us all.”

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The Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) was an anti-imperialist, anti-foreign uprising in northern China by a secret society known as the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists.

Outraged by foreign privileges, Christian missionary expansion, and government corruption, the "Boxers" targeted foreigners and Chinese Christians, resulting in a devastating 55-day siege on Beijing’s diplomatic quarters.

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🔗 zsl.org

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200 years of ZSL.

One unforgettable day at London Zoo.

We were honoured to welcome our Patron, HM The King, and HM The Queen to London Zoo to celebrate ZSL’s 200th anniversary.

Their Majesties joined us behind the scenes to discover how ZSL is protecting wildlife both here in the UK and around the world, from presenting our Galápagos tortoises with a special treat, to taking part in a penguin health check and training session that shows the vital role of wildlife health in conservation.

The visit also highlighted our vision for the future, including plans for ZSL’s new wildlife health centre, announced as part of our 200th anniversary year, which will help tackle some of the biggest threats facing wildlife and strengthen our ability to safeguard wildlife and humans for generations to come.

Along the way, Their Majesties explored ZSL’s rich heritage through our heritage exhibition and the story of London Zoo’s connection to the famous Winnie the Pooh at our much-loved statue, before seeing first-hand one of conservation’s great success stories.

At London Zoo’s Partula snail breeding facility, The King learned how ZSL has helped save these snails from the brink of extinction through decades of dedicated conservation work.

He also helped mark two snails with fluorescent UV paint ahead of their release into the wild this autumn, complete with a special purple dot to commemorate the Royal visit and ZSL’s bicentenary year.

Most importantly, Their Majesties met the people behind the work - the keepers, conservationists, scientists, supporters and partners whose dedication makes our mission possible every day.

As we celebrate 200 years of conservation, this visit was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when people come together for wildlife.

Together, we can create a world where wildlife and people thrive.

🔗 zsl.org

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📸 Jess Margerison

📸 Tony Tucker

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SAINTS OF THE DAY (July 8)

Saints Aquila and Priscilla were a Jewish couple from Rome who had been exiled to Corinth and were friends of St. Paul in the first century.

They hosted St. Paul on his visit to that city and were probably converted by him.

They are mentioned a few times in the New Testament in glowing terms by their friend Paul, who calls them "my helpers in Christ, who have for my life laid down their own necks" (Romans 16:3-4).

They were tentmakers, thus sharing the same profession as Paul, and because of this, it is thought that Paul may have worked with them.

Acts 18:18-19 tells us that they accompanied Paul to Ephesus and stayed there with him for three years.

In the era of house churches - when Mass was always celebrated in the house of one of the Christian community - their house was an important one.

According to tradition they were martyred in Rome on their return, probably around the same time as St. Paul.

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Catherine's conversation was recorded as part of the “Overheard at Wimbledon” series, where participants are given a hidden microphone to have conversations recorded for the social media accounts of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), of which she is patron.

She spoke with Henman and Deborah Jevans, the chairman of the AELTC.

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Timothy Henry Henman OBE (born 6 September 1974) is a British former professional tennis player.

He was ranked world No. 4 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) during the early 2000s.

Henman won 15 career ATP Tour titles (eleven in singles and four in doubles), including a Masters event at the 2003 Paris Masters.

A serve-and-volley player, he was the first British man to reach the singles semifinals of Wimbledon since Roger Taylor in the 1970s.

Henman reached six major semifinals, and earned a 40–14 win-loss record with the Great Britain Davis Cup team.

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