Dear Friends
EST.
1593
MUSEUM & ARCHIVES
STONYHURST’S AWARD-WINNING MUSEUM IS OPENING AGAIN! After two years of lockdown, we are delighted to announce that the Stonyhurst Museum will be opening doors to visitors in July and August 2022. We are opening with quite a splash, featuring two new exhibitions. Hot Holy Ladies tells the story of the unsung work of a variety of fascinating 17th century English Catholic women who ensured the rescue of numerous medieval objects and manuscripts targeted for destruction during the Reformation era. The description Hot Holy Ladies was originally a sarcastic insult aimed at those women who used ingenuity and considerable courage to support underground Catholic priests at a time when their religion was illegal. These remarkable women also created an extraordinary group of richly embroidered and dazzling vestments for the underground priests, using their jewellery as well as gold and silver threads, sequins and rich fabrics, many of which will be on display in the Museum.