Saint Thomas More

St Thomas More
1478 - 1535
Feast day July 9th

Thomas More was born in London, England, on February 7, 1478. It is said that before his birth, his mother saw a vision of her future, saintly son, in splendour. Thomas received the first part of his education at St. Anthony's School. Later he studied at Canterbury College, in Oxford. After that he went to study Law in London, and became a very popular lawyer.

For a while, Thomas felt that perhaps he should become a monk in the Franciscan or Carthusian Order. Finally he realized that this was not his vocation, so in 1505 he got married. In 1510, his wife died and he married another women, so that she could take care of his four small children.

In 1504, Thomas was elected to Parliament. In 1516, he published his book "Utopia", (an unreal place where social life and politics were perfect.) In 1518, he became the Secretary of King Henry VIII, and in 1521, Henry made him a Knight. In 1523, he was made Chancellor of Lancaster.

In September 1527, King Henry, questioned Sir Thomas about getting a divorce. The Chancellor would not give an immediate answer the King's question. In 1529, the King made Thomas, Lord Chancellor of England. Henry still wanted to get a divorce! Thomas begged the King to change his mind but he had no success. So he stopped working as Chancellor because he wanted to remain faithful to God and to the Pope.

Thomas refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, which stated that the King was the head of the Catholic Church in England. People turned against him and he became quite poor. Sir Thomas was taken as a prisoner to the Tower of London. He was not left alone, and people, including his wife and daughter, begged him to take the Oath of Supremacy. Thomas lost all his property, and his wife had to sell her own belongings to pay the prison fees.

In 1535, Richard Rich, the Solicitor General, spoke with Sir Thomas and then turned against the holy man. He purposely mixed up the words that Thomas had spoken, and caused poor Thomas to be brought to court. What did Sir Thomas say to Richard, you might ask? Sir Thomas said, "Suppose that Parliament would make a law that God should not be God, would you then say that God was not God?"

Richard replied, "No, Sir, that I would not do, since no Parliament may make any such law!"

"No more," said Sir Thomas, "could the Parliament make the King, Supreme Head of the Church!"

St. Thomas, the great English Martyr, was killed on July 6, 1535.

St. Thomas More, Pray for Us.

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