Canterbury, England, is a lovely medieval town. When you climb to any point of view over the town, you can see the Cathedral where St. Thomas Beckett was martyred in 1170. He lost his life at the wish of King Henry II, because Thomas defended the rights of the Catholic Church.


Within the same town, not far from the train station, you can see the much smaller, less dramatic St. Dunstan's Church. It is here that St. Thomas More's son-in-law Will Roper had a family vault. Thomas More's beloved daughter Meg was able to bury her father's head here after he was decapitated by King Henry VIII in 1535 for defending the rights of the Catholic Church.

One of the great attributes of both of these Saint Thomases was their lack of hostility or anger or hatred toward those that hurt them or disagreed with them. St. Thomas More, the holy layman, knew that God could work it all out in His justice and mercy, and He prayed to see his persecutors in Heaven someday. He made his stand courageously and unequivocally, but forgave his enemies. He wrote:

"Almighty God, have mercy on all that bear me evil will, and would me harm, and their faults and mine together, by such easy, tender, merciful means as Thine infinite wisdom best can devise, vouchsafe to amend and redress, and make us saved souls in heaven together."