Here We Stand The Ordinary Virgin Mary: Hellen Stirke (Died 1544)
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Oct 19, 2024 Explore the life of Hellen Stirke, a pivotal yet forgotten figure of the Reformation. Discover how her ordinary life as a Scottish mother took a dramatic turn when she refused traditional prayers during childbirth. Her scriptural convictions led to her arrest and a tragic confrontation with religious authorities. Hear the touching farewell she shared with her husband before her execution by drowning, highlighting her profound faith. Reflect on the legacy of everyday martyrs like Hellen, emphasizing the Reformation's impact on ordinary believers.
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Birthbed Defiance
- Helen Sturkey was an ordinary Scottish wife and mother who refused the Catholic childbirth prayers to the Virgin Mary.
- Her refusal came from Scripture and led her to declare equality before God through Christ during labor.
Private Belief Became Public Crime
- Local Catholic authorities quickly treated private doctrinal dissent as public heresy and arrested Helen and others.
- The group was tried, condemned, and sentenced to death for their Protestant convictions.
Martyrdom In Public Execution
- Helen watched her husband James Finlayson hanged and then was drowned while holding her newborn's fate to a nurse.
- Authorities bound her, put her in a sack with stones, and threw her into a pond for 'blaspheming the Virgin Mary.'
