A Note From Our Pastor: June 21, 2026

This week, we celebrate the memorial of a saint that is beloved by many: St. Thomas More. In his youth he had considered a monastic vocation, but eventually realized he was being called to serve God in the world. At age 51 (1529) Thomas was appointed by King Henry VIII to be chancellor of England, though he had no desire for such a prestigious and influential role.

King Henry had always admired More’s intellect and integrity. But his admiration ceased when Henry began to make decisions contrary to teachings of his Catholic faith. Henry, already validly and sacramentally married, decided he would prefer to marry another woman. Pope Clement VII declared that because Henry was already married, he could not marry again.

King Henry ignored the pope’s declaration and eventually determined to establish a separate church: the Church of England. Because of this defiance, Thomas More decided that he could no longer support the king by working for him and thus retired to his country home and left the controversy behind.

In 1534 an Act of Succession was proclaimed, requiring all citizens of England to recognize the children of Henry and his new wife as true successors to the throne. Thomas More refused to acknowledge it and so he was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He remained there for 15 months in hopes that he would change his mind. He was exposed to cold, hunger and life amid vermin. His wife tried to persuade him to give in, but he would not.

Finally, Thomas was brought to trial and received a sentence of death. At last, he spoke, declaring that the English government had no authority to establish a king as head of the Church, nor authority to overrule the Universal Church.

Thomas said goodbye to his favorite daughter, Margaret, in tender words that are still memorialized. On July 6, 1535, he was taken to the execution site. His body was weak, but his mind and wit remained intact. He addresses his executioner and the crowd saying, “I die in and for the faith of the holy catholic Church. Pray for me in this world, and I shall pray for you in that world. Pray for the king that it please God to send him good counselors. I die as the king’s true servant, but God’s first”.

In 2000 Pope John Paul II named St. Thomas More patron of political leaders, because he refused to compromise his values to appease friends or temporal powers. In 1966, his life and death were made into a much-loved movie: A Man for All Seasons. On formed.org, consider watching Faith of Our Fathers: In Search of the English Martyrs.

Yours in Christ,

Father Todd O. Strange