TOWER OF LONDON

Below are four photos showing the place of imprisonment and burial of:

Saint John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, England,
beheaded on June 22, 1535

and

Saint Thomas More, Chancellor of England,
beheaded on July 6, 1535.

Both were canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 19, 1935.

(London's Catholic Cathedral is also shown below.)

Bell Tower where Fisher and More were imprisoned

St. Peter ad Vincula Royal Chapel: Tower of London

Crypt of Chapel: Tomb of Saint Thomas More

Though there is a bust of Saint Thomas on the sarcophagus,
his head is actually buried in the crypt of Saint Dunstan's Church in Canterbury.
This was the parish attended by his daughter, Margaret Roper.

Burial Site: St. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester

Among the "many distinguished persons" buried in the wall of the chapel crypt is Saint John Fisher.
Obviously, his remains cannot be identified.
His name is listed second on a bronze plaque in the chapel itself.
Saint Thomas More is the third name listed.
Others include two of King Henry VIII's wives,
beheaded for their failure to bear him a surviving son.

Westminster Cathedral (of the Precious Blood)

Only in 1850 was the English Catholic hierarchy restored
after the repeal of most Anti-Catholic laws dating from Reformation times.
New archdioceses and dioceses were established thoughout England,
some using different see-cities from pre-Reformation times.
The Archdiocese of Westminister includes London. Its cathedral, begun in 1895, is shown above.
Queen Elizabeth II attended a Vespers service in 1995 during the centennial observances.
The Archbishop of Westminster has often been named a Cardinal as was the late Basil Cardinal Hume, OSB.
The current archbishop is Archbishop Colmac Murphy-O'Connor.

Pilgrimage Page
by Rev. John F. Gagnier

Last modified on Tuesday, December 26, 2000