December 29

Born: 1118 in London, England.
Murdered in the Cathedral, in Cantebury, England, 1170.

Of Norman ancestry. Educated at Merton Priory, Paris, Bologna, and Auxerre. Civil and canon lawyer. Soldier and officer. Archdeacon of Canterbury. Friend of King Henry II. Chancellor of England. Ordained on 2 June 1162 and appointed archbishop of Canterbury on 3 June 1162. Opposed the King's interference in ecclesiastical matters. Exiled several times. Martyr.

"Remember the sufferings of Christ, the storms that were weathered...the crown that came from those sufferings which gave new radiance to the faith...All saints give testimony to the truth that without real effort, no one ever wins the crown." - Thomas Becket