St. Thomas Becket: Life, Martyrdom, Prayer and Feast Day

St. Thomas Becket (1118?–1170), also called St. Thomas of Canterbury, was the chancellor and friend of King Henry II of England who, once made archbishop of Canterbury, defended the freedom of the Church against the king and was murdered in his own cathedral. His martyrdom shocked Europe. He was canonized barely two years later, the king did public penance at his tomb, and for three and a half centuries Canterbury was one of the great pilgrim shrines of Christendom. His feast is December 29, within the Octave of Christmas, which in 2026 falls on a Tuesday.

Who was St. Thomas Becket?

A Londoner. Thomas was born in London on December 21, probably in 1118, to a family of Norman merchants.
In the archbishop’s household. He entered the service of Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him to study law at Bologna and Auxerre, ordained him deacon in 1154 and made him archdeacon of Canterbury.
Chancellor of England. In 1155 the young King Henry II made him chancellor. Thomas lived magnificently, served the king with energy, even led troops in war, and became Henry’s closest friend.
Archbishop. When Theobald died, Henry had Thomas elected archbishop of Canterbury, expecting a loyal ally. Thomas was ordained priest and, the next day, June 3, 1162, consecrated bishop. He changed completely: he resigned the chancellorship, took up a life of prayer and penance, and served the Church as wholeheartedly as he had served the king.
The quarrel. At Clarendon in 1164 Henry demanded that the bishops accept the “Constitutions of Clarendon,” which among other things would have brought clergy accused of crimes under the king’s courts and restricted appeals to Rome. Thomas refused. Hounded with lawsuits at Northampton, he walked into the royal council carrying his archbishop’s cross and fled that night.
Six years of exile. Pope Alexander III received him at Sens and refused his resignation. He lived at the Cistercian abbey of Pontigny until Henry threatened the whole Cistercian Order, then at Sens, while negotiations dragged on.
Return and martyrdom. A truce in 1170 let him return to Canterbury on December 1. When he refused to absolve bishops he had excommunicated for crowning Henry’s son, four knights came from the king’s court in France. At vespers on December 29, 1170, they burst into the cathedral. To their cry “Where is the traitor?” he answered, according to the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, “Here I am, no traitor, but archbishop and priest of God.” They cut him down where he stood. His companion Edward Grim, who carried his cross, was wounded trying to protect him.
Saint. Pope Alexander III canonized him on February 21, 1173. On July 12, 1174, Henry II did public penance and was scourged at his tomb.

Canterbury pilgrimage

Miracles were reported at his tomb almost at once, and his shrine became one of the richest and most visited in Europe. Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (late fourteenth century) are told by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury, “the hooly blisful martir for to seke.” In September 1538, during the dissolution of the shrines under Henry VIII, the shrine was destroyed and his relics are believed to have been lost. A candle now burns on the spot where the shrine stood, and the place of his martyrdom in the northwest transept of Canterbury Cathedral is still marked. His story was retold in T. S. Eliot’s play Murder in the Cathedral (1935).

The prayer of his feast

The Collect for St. Thomas of Canterbury in the traditional Roman Missal:

O God, for whose Church the glorious Bishop Thomas fell by the swords of the impious, grant, we beseech thee, that all who implore his assistance may obtain the effect of their petitions. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God world without end. Amen.

A prayer to St. Thomas Becket

Written for this page:

Saint Thomas Becket, you served your king faithfully,
but when you were called to serve the Church you put God first, even at the cost of your life.
Pray for bishops and priests, that they may be shepherds and not hirelings.
Pray for all who govern, that they may respect the freedom of the Church and of conscience.
And help me to stand firm for what is right, without bitterness and without fear.
Saint Thomas of Canterbury, pray for us. Amen.

What is St. Thomas Becket the patron saint of?

He is honored as a patron of the secular clergy (diocesan priests) and is invoked for the freedom of the Church from interference by the state. Many English churches and schools, and the cathedral of Portsmouth, are dedicated to him.

Frequently asked questions

When is the feast of St. Thomas Becket?

December 29, the anniversary of his martyrdom. It is an optional memorial, kept within the Octave of Christmas. In 2026 it falls on a Tuesday.

Why was Thomas Becket killed?

Because he refused to give in to King Henry II on the rights of the Church, especially the king’s claim to try clergy in royal courts. After the king’s angry outburst against him, four knights rode to Canterbury and killed him in the cathedral on December 29, 1170.

Did Henry II order the murder of Thomas Becket?

Not formally. His furious words against the archbishop were taken by four knights as a command. The 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia says it is not quite clear how far Henry was directly responsible, but the king accepted his share of guilt and did public penance at Becket’s tomb in 1174.

Is Thomas Becket the same as St. Thomas More?

No. St. Thomas Becket was archbishop of Canterbury, killed in 1170 under Henry II. St. Thomas More was Lord Chancellor, beheaded in 1535 under Henry VIII. Both died for the freedom of the Church against an English king.

More saints and prayers

Texts and sources

Collect: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916 daily missal), December 29, public domain (archive.org). OCR errors corrected.
Herbert Thurston, “St. Thomas Becket,” Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 14 (1912), Wikisource.
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue, line 17.