Feast Day: June 22
Born: 1478
Died: 1535
Lived: London, England
Occupation: Lawyer/Lord Chancellor/Writer
Best Known For:
St. Thomas More refused to give his allegiance to King Henry VII through an oath that upheld the divorce of Henry to Catherine. A week earlier, Pope Clement VII had pronounced the marriage valid. If St. Thomas would have sworn the oath, he would have been accepting the king’s authority over the Holy See. As it stood, Henry had already married to Anne Boleyn and proclaimed himself Head of the Church in England. The king was in grave conflict with the Roman Catholic Church. In 1534, St. Thomas was confined to the Tower of London for his loyalty to the Pope and was beheaded fifteen months later. On his walk to the scaffold, he tried to comfort those who came out to see him. His last words were that he was, “the king’s good servant-but God’s first”.
Interesting Facts:
Although a highly intelligent and respected Lawyer, St. Thomas kept a monkey at is house to entertain his four children. Even with his Chancellor duties, he was always close to his family.
He was known for his sense of humor and wit.
His first wife, Jane Colt, died at a young age and St. Thomas married a widow, Alice Middleton.
St. Thomas was good friends with King Henry VIII. The king respected St. More’s opinion, but their friendship did not keep St. More from being executed.
The play, A Man for All Seasons was based on the Saint's life.
Patron Saint Of: Lawyers, Widowers, Adoptive Children
Author Of: Utopia
Association with Other Saints: St. John Fisher
Websites: http://www.thomasmorestudies.org/library.html http://www.cstm.edu/index.html
Note: I will start posting a Saint Fact Sheet about notable Saints on or around their Feast Days.