Feast of 40 Martyrs of England and Wales.

Modern American Catholics don't really have a sense of how vigorously and consistently Roman Catholicism was persecuted in post-Reformation England (with the exception of Queen Mary's rule, of course!). Today's feast is a good reminder - a summary is here.

By the way, one of the more interesting historical redefinitions that's been going on in recent years is re-evaluating the English Reformation. Although it was always there to be plainly seen, historians (and, just as importantly, those who communicate history to the public through textbooks and so on) have persisted in downplaying the more brutal aspects of Henry VIII's break with Rome, including the obvious element of power-grabbing.

That's changing, though. Two books that you might look into if you're interested in such things: The Stripping of the Altars:Traditional Religion in England, 1400-1580 by Eamon Duffy really broke open scholarship in this area, maintaing that religion in England before the Reformation wasn't particularly corrupt or in need of reform - it was vital, meaningful and connected to both the needs of the people and the core truths of Christianity.

Another book to look at is Peter Ackroyd's biography of Thomas More.

A couple of older books on the subject from the Catholic perspective:How the Reformation Happened by Hillaire Belloc and The Beginning of the English Reformation by Hugh Ross Williamson.