---
title: "St. Thomas Becket: Feast Day December 29, Life & Quotes"
url: https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-becket/
description: "St. Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr, patron of the clergy. Remembered on December 29, died c. 1170. Read their life and their own words, with sources."
---

Bishop and Martyr · Remembered on December 29

# St. Thomas Becket

St. Thomas Becket is remembered on December 29 in Bless’s calendar of saints. Traditionally invoked as patron of the clergy. Below: a short life and 1 sourced quotation in their own words.

|  |  |
|---|---|
| Remembered on | [December 29](https://blessbible.app/saints/december/#29) |
| Title | Bishop and Martyr |
| Died | c. 1170 |
| Patron of | [the clergy](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#clergy) |
| In their own words | [1 sourced quotation](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-becket/#words) |
| Next on Bless’s Today screen | [Tuesday, December 29, 2026](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-becket/#calendar) |

## Life

Henry II’s brilliant chancellor and hunting companion, made archbishop of Canterbury by his king to bring the Church to heel — who instead resigned the chancellorship, took to hair shirts and the daily washing of beggars’ feet, and defended the Church’s liberties inch by inch.

After six years’ exile and a false peace, four knights took the king’s raging words as warrant and cut him down at vespers in his own cathedral. ‘For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church,’ he said, ‘I am ready to embrace death.’ Europe was electrified; Canterbury became a pilgrim shrine overnight.

## Patron of

Tradition invokes St. Thomas Becket as patron of the clergy.

[Clergy](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#clergy)

Patronages are traditional, not an official list. [All patron saints in Bless, A to Z](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/).

## In their own words

Each quotation names the work it comes from. Bless quotes these in the comments beside the verses listed under [In Scripture](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-becket/#scripture).

> For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.

— *Last words, as recorded by eyewitness Edward Grim*, 1170

## In Scripture

In Bless, St. Thomas Becket’s words appear in the comments beside these verses. This page’s labels say how each is linked: “on this verse” means the saint wrote about that very verse; “on this theme” means the quotation shares its theme. Scripture is quoted from the Catholic Public Domain Version.

1. On this theme
   > I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives his life for his sheep.
   — [John 10:11](https://blessbible.app/bible/john/10/#v11) · CPDV
   Beside their words: [“For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-becket/#q189)

## In the calendar

The upcoming dates, through December 31, 2028, when Bless’s Today screen shows St. Thomas Becket. Where the US calendar keeps another celebration that day, it is named instead and no rank is given.

| Date | In the US calendar | Color | Mass readings (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Tuesday, December 29, 2026](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2026/12/29/) | The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas | White | 1 John 2:3-11 · Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6 · Luke 2:32 · Luke 2:22-35 |
| [Wednesday, December 29, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/12/29/) | The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas | White | 1 John 2:3-11 · Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6 · Luke 2:32 · Luke 2:22-35 |
| [Friday, December 29, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/12/29/) | The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas | White | 1 John 2:3-11 · Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6 · Luke 2:32 · Luke 2:22-35 |

Readings

Reading citations through May 31, 2027 are as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar. Later citations were computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

[December 28 The Holy Innocents](https://blessbible.app/saints/the-holy-innocents/) [December 30 St. Egwin](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-egwin/)

[All the saints of December](https://blessbible.app/saints/december/) [Born on December 29?](https://blessbible.app/saints/birthday/#12-29) [A saint for every day](https://blessbible.app/saints/)

Spotted a mistake in a date, a patronage or a quotation? [Report an error](https://blessbible.app/support/#report) and we’ll fix it in the app and here.

St. Thomas Becket

Remembered on December 29

On this page

1. [Life](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-becket/#life)
2. [Patron of](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-becket/#patron)
3. [In their own words](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-becket/#words)
4. [In Scripture](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-becket/#scripture)
5. [In the calendar](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-becket/#calendar)

In the app

Bless shows a saint every day on its Today screen, with their life and their words. Free on iPhone.