Today, June 22, we celebrate the feast of our namesake, St. Thomas More.  

Born in London in 1478, More swiftly rose to prominence as a lawyer and scholar, well-versed in theology, classical languages, and the law. Despite the demands of work and study—and later, of political life—Thomas More prioritized an interior life of prayer, cultivating a deep relationship with God. He was also devoted to his family, ensuring that his children were equipped with a quality education so that they could actively engage with the world around them.  

More was elected to Parliament in 1504, and his political career blossomed. In 1523, he was appointed Speaker of the House of Commons and later became the first layman to serve as the King’s Lord Chancellor. As he rose in influence, More encountered tension between his moral convictions and the demands of political life. This tension reached its zenith when More resigned from the prestigious Chancellor position, refusing to sign an Oath of Supremacy that made King Henry VIII head of the Church of England, as well as refusing to support the King’s divorce from his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Choosing not to abandon his convictions about marriage and properly ordered relations between Church and State, More was convicted of high treason and beheaded at Tower Hill in 1535, the area surrounding the Tower of London where he is now buried.  

Before his execution, St. Thomas More is reported to have said: “I die the King’s good servant, and God’s first.” This expression fittingly describes the way in which More engaged in public life—he knew that he could not properly serve his king without first serving God rightly and justly.  

In an apostolic letter officially proclaiming St. Thomas More the patron of statesmen and politicians, Pope St. John Paul II wrote:

Whenever men or women heed the call of truth, their conscience then guides their actions reliably towards good. Precisely because of the witness which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth over power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of moral integrity.  

This example of moral integrity inspires our work at Thomas More Society and is epitomized in the clients we serve. We witness moral integrity in brave pro-life advocates such as Paul Vaughn and Lauren Handy, sidewalk counselors like those at Coalition Life, in protectors of children and family like in Christian teachers Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori West, and in those fighting for religious freedom like Captain Jeffrey Little, and Cathy Miller.  

We’re committed to defending those who defend the truth. Like our namesake, our clients don’t back down when faced with opposition to what they know to be right—and we won’t, either. Looking to the example of St. Thomas More, may we all have the courage to remain faithful to God and His law, bearing witness to eternal truths in this day and age.

St. Thomas More, pray for us!

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