John Fisher was Bishop of Rochester and a renowned scholar; Thomas More was a lawyer, father, and Lord Chancellor of England. Both refused to accept King Henry VIII as head of the Church in England, and for their fidelity to conscience they were imprisoned in the Tower of London and beheaded in 1535. They were canonized together by Pope Pius XI in 1935.
Fisher and More show that faith is not a costume we wear when it is convenient, but the quiet ground we stand on even when everything else is taken away. More went to his death with gentleness and even humor, calling himself 'the king's good servant, but God's first.' Their witness reminds us that love of God and integrity of heart are worth more than any position, comfort, or even life itself.
Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, who held fast to Christ with courage and peace, pray for us — that we may keep our conscience clear, our hearts gentle, and our trust in God unshaken to the end. Amen.Enter today’s Mass → All saints →