Recently, a group of us from St Margaret Clitherow’s Primary School chaplaincy team (age 7-10) in South Bank went on a fact finding visit to York. We wanted to learn more about our patron saint, St Margaret Clitherow.

Fr Dominique from English Martyrs Catholic Church in York was our kind tour guide. We joined in Mass at his church before we went off to The Shambles where Margaret lived with her family. We went to the toll bridge where she was martyred and then we went to the Bar Convent where we saw a real relic and a priest’s hiding hole. We learnt that Margaret gave her shoes to her daughter just before she died. Margaret wanted her daughter to be brave and try to be a good Catholic, she wanted her to follow in her footsteps.

We think that St Margaret Clitherow was brave and we are proud that she is our patron saint and we want to try and walk in her footsteps as well. We wrote a poem about her, we hope you like it.

By Lucy and Natalie

A poem about St Margaret Clitherow

St Margaret Clitherow a very special lady
The ‘sacred pearl of York’, here is a poem for you

Margaret was a wife, a mammy and a teacher
A shining example of love and kindness and Catholic faith
Remember she lived a very long time ago when you weren’t allowed to be Catholic
Give praise to her
A shrine was built in York for her
Ran a butcher’s shop in The Shambles with her husband
Every week secret mass was held in her house and there were Catholic lessons for children
The little Dutch boy could not keep her secret in

Could you be braver?
Let us feel sorry for him, he must have been scared
In came the soldiers, they found her priest hidey hole,
The soldiers took her away, locked her up and then killed her
Her faith kept her strong even when she was in prison
Every day she was smiley and helpful
Remember before she died she gave her shoes to her daughter to follow in her footsteps
Our footsteps ………. who will want to follow us?
We think St Margaret Clitherow was a kind and brave lady