Category:Saint Thomas Becket

Province: Canterbury Diocese: Canterbury See: Canterbury Appointed: 24 May 1162 Enthroned: 3 June 1162 Reign ended: 29 December 1170 Predecessor: Theobald of Bec Successor: Roger de Bailleul Ordination: 2 June 1162 Consecration: 3 June 1162 by Henry of Blois Birth name: Thomas Becket Born: circa 1118 in Cheapside, London Died: 29 December 1170 in Canterbury Buried: Canterbury Cathedral Nationality: English Denomination: Roman Catholic Parents: Gilbert Beket Matilda Previous post: Archdeacon of Canterbury Feast day: 29 December Venerated in: Roman Catholic Church Anglican Communion Title as Saint: Bishop and Martyr Beatified: 21 February 1173 by Pope Alexander III Canonized: 21 February 1173 in St Peter's Church in Segni by Pope Alexander III Attributes: Sword, Martyrdom, dressed in chancellor's robe and neck chain Patronage: Exeter College, Oxford; Portsmouth; Arbroath Abbey; secular clergy Shrines: Canterbury Cathedral

(born in 1118, martyred in 1170, Optional Memorial on December 29)
 * Thomas was born in London, possibly on December 21, 1118. He was ordained a deacon in 1154. When Thomas was thirty-six, King Henry II of England appointed him chancellor. After Archbishop Theobald died in 1161, Thomas was ordained to the priesthood on June 2, 1162, and was consecrated as archbishop the following day on June 3, 1162. Thomas resigned his position as chancellor. After several disputes with Henry II, Thomas fled England in late 1164 and went to see Pope Alexander III. Pope Alexander III refused to permit Thomas to resign his archbishopric, so on November 30, 1164, Thomas went to the Cistercians in Burgundy and lived with them for a year. Meanwhile, King Henry II of England confiscated the archbishop's property and banished Thomas Becket's relatives. Eventually, Thomas was required to leave the Cistercian abbey where he was residing, as King Henry threatened the Cistercian order with vengeance if they continued to permit Thomas to reside with them. Thomas returned to England after it appeared that a relative agreement on some of the disputes had been reached. He was martyred in Canterbury by four knights on December 29, 1170. He was canonized on February 21, 1173, and King Henry II of England performed public penance on July 12, 1174.