Our Patron Saint

Sir Thomas More was born in 1478 to a Catholic family in London.  A man of letters, he composed Latin and English poetry and wrote several significant works, the most famous of which is Utopia.  As a lawyer and layman he constantly reminded clergy of duty to God over King.  Through his connections with Henry VIII, More eventually earned the office of Chancellor of England, but he resigned from his post when Henry VIII veered from the Catholic Church over its refusal to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.

King Henry VIII eventually interpreted More’s resignation as an act of treason and ordered his execution.  On July 6, 1535, this defender of the Catholic Faith was beheaded on Tower Hill.  His execution did not have the effect the King had hoped for, however, as More offered, even in death, a model of conscience and fidelity in contradiction to prevailing cultural tides.

Prayer of St. Thomas More

O Lord, give us a mind that is humble, quiet, peaceable, patient and charitable, and a taste of your Holy Spirit in all our thoughts, words, and deeds.

O Lord, give us a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent charity, a love of you.

Take from us all lukewarmness in meditation and all dullness in prayer.  Give us fervor and delight in thinking of you, your grace, and your tender compassion toward us.

Give us, good Lord, the grace to work for the things we pray for.

Amen.

 

St. Thomas More Novena