Miracle of St. Alban at the River Thames

Historical records recount the martyrdom of St. Alban, Britain's protomartyr, during a period of Christian persecution in the 3rd or 4th century. Alban, a Roman citizen of Verulamium, protected a fugitive priest who had been fleeing from authorities. Deeply moved by the priest's piety, Alban emulated his faith and was converted. When soldiers came to seize the priest, Alban bravely donned the guest's cloak and presented himself to the authorities in his stead. Brought before an 'impious' judge who was performing pagan sacrifices, Alban refused to worship the gods, declaring his devotion to the true Creator. After being scourged, he was sentenced to death. On his way to the place of execution, Alban and his captors reached a fast-flowing river. Finding the bridge crowded with spectators, and filled with an ardent desire for martyrdom, Alban prayed; the waters immediately parted, allowing him and a thousand others to cross on dry ground. Seeing this miracle, his first executioner was struck with awe, threw down his sword, and begged to suffer with the martyr. They proceeded to a flower-covered hill, where Alban prayed for water, causing a spring to appear. He was then beheaded, as was the converted soldier who refused to execute him, while the second executioner’s eyes miraculously fell from his head upon the completion of the deed.

Fuller account of this event (as retold in The Venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England (London: George Bell & Sons, 1894), 26-29.):

When the soldiers came to the house of the martyr, he immediately came forth to them, dressed in the priest's long robe, which he wore, and was led bound to the judge. The judge was at that time offering sacrifice to devils, and when he saw Alban, he was enraged that he had dared to put himself in the hands of the soldiers, and to expose himself to danger for the guest whom he had harboured; and he commanded him to be dragged to the statues of the devils, before which he stood, saying, 'Because you have chosen to conceal a rebellious and sacrilegious person, rather than to deliver him up to the soldiers, that his contempt of the gods might meet with his due punishment, you shall undergo all the punishment that was due to him, if you shall abandon our religion.' But the blessed Alban, who had voluntarily declared himself a Christian to the persecutors, was not at all daunted by the threats of the prince, but putting on the armour of spiritual warfare, he publicly declared that he would not obey his command. Then said the judge, 'Of what family or race are you?' Alban answered, 'What is that to you, of what family I am? But if you desire to know the truth of my religion, be it known to you, that I am a Christian, and bound by Christian duties.' 'I ask your name,' said the judge, 'tell it me immediately.' 'I am called Alban by my parents,' replied he; 'and I worship and adore the true and living God, who created all things.' The judge, filled with anger, said, 'If you will enjoy the happiness of eternal life, do not delay to offer sacrifice to the great gods.' Alban replied, 'These sacrifices, which you offer to devils, can neither help those who offer them, nor can they obtain for them their petitions or desires; but rather, they will bring upon you the everlasting punishment of hell.' The judge, hearing these words, and being much incensed, ordered the holy confessor of God to be scourged by the executioners, believing that he might by stripes shake that constancy of heart, which he could not shake by words. He bore the stripes with great patience, or rather with joy, for the Lord's sake. When the judge saw that he could not be overcome by torments, nor induced to renounce the Christian religion, he ordered him to be beheaded. Being led to execution, he came to a river, which, with a most rapid course, ran between the wall of the town and the arena where he was to be executed. He there saw a great multitude of persons of both sexes, and of several ages and conditions, assembled, which was doubtless assembled by Divine Providence, to attend the blessed confessor and martyr, and had so blocked up the bridge, that he could scarcely pass over before the evening. Being in a hurry to reach the place of execution, he came to the stream, and he saw the water dried up, and he passed over with the multitude. When the first of the executioners saw this, he cast away his sword, which he had carried ready drawn, and fell at his feet, praying that he might rather be accounted worthy to suffer with the martyr, whom he was ordered to execute, or, if possible, to be executed for him. While he was thus converted from a persecutor to a companion in the faith, and the other executioners hesitated to take up the sword which lay on the ground, the holy confessor, accompanied by the multitude, ascended a hill, about five hundred paces from the place, adorned, or rather clothed, with all kinds of flowers, having its sides neither perpendicular, nor even rugged, but sloping down into a most beautiful plain, worthy from its appearance to be the scene of a martyr's sufferings. On the top of this hill, St. Alban prayed that God would give him water, and immediately a living spring broke out before his feet, the course being limited, so that all might perceive that the spring also was given for the martyr's sake. For it would not have been reasonable to think that the martyr, who had left no water remaining in the river, should want water on the top of the hill, unless he had thought it convenient. The river having performed the service, and fulfilled its duty, returned to its natural course. Here, therefore, the head of the most valiant martyr was struck off, and he received the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. But he who laid the wicked hands upon him was not permitted to rejoice over his death; for his eyes dropped out of his head at the same time that the head of the blessed martyr fell to the ground.