A Show of Saintly Courage in Shambles

The Shambles in not an adjective; it is a well preserved street in York, England. Although not as popular as London, York is just as historical. The city of York has been in existence for at least 2,000 years. The core of the city of York is walled, just like in medieval times, and its historical landmarks are well preserved.

The word Shambles refers to open-air slaughterhouses and meat shops. There are streets named Shambles in other parts of England as long as there are animals to kill, dress and sell. The pavements of the streets are elevated on both sides, creating channels or open canals. In those days all the innards are thrown out; the wastes from the slaughtered animals like blood pass through those canals.

The Shambles of York is unique or special; it is the most well preserved street of its kind and thus one of the most visited in the whole of Europe. The Shambles was also home to Saint Margaret Clitherow.

Clitherow married a butcher at the age of 15 and lived along Yorks Shambles. She became a Roman Catholic at the age of 18. During those day Roman Catholics were being persecuted and as a Catholic herself, she sympathized with those regarded as...