St. Thomas A Becket, Patron Saint of Clergy
St. Thomas Becket was an English martyr. As the Chancellor of England and friend of King Henry II, Thomas was one of the most powerful men in England. Unfortunately, he was rather lax in his clerical duties. When elected Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas revived his spiritual life and refused to allow the king to have control over the Church. Thomas was martyred by three renegade knights who believed they were acting on behalf of the king. St. Thomas Becket exemplifies the duty to stand up for the faith against popular opinion, especially for us in our troubled times.