St David Lewis Statue

David Lewis was born in Abergavenny in the year 1616. He was brought up as a Protestant but later became a Catholic.

Saint David Lewis was ordained 1640 and was sent back to Wales, to the Jesuit Mission of St. Francis Xavier at a place called ‘The Cwm’ in 1648, where he was to work for the next thirty years. On Sunday 17th November 1678 Father David Lewis was arrested at Llantarnam as he was preparing to say Mass. On 27^th August 1679 Fr David Lewis, the last Welsh martyr, was executed for the crime of being a Catholic Priest.

St David Lewis’ feast day is on 27th August. St. David Lewis, Ora Pro Nobis.