Thomas had begun to climb steps into the north transept but came down the stairs to meet his attackers. According to eyewitnesses, a sword blade sliced through his head with such force that the metal shattered as it struck the stone floor. Becket could have saved himself. He might have acceded to the knights demands or ordered the cathedral s doors bolted or fled to the roof. Becket himself had returned to England from safe exile in France only weeks before his murder.
Refuge remains an option for many men and women.
No one would blame them. Instead, like Canterbury s archbishop, they descend the stairs to face the swords. Our own century is no exception. Their deaths are in union with the life-giving death of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior of mankind. In this Chapel we thank God for the sacrifice of martyrdom whereby truth is upheld and God s providence enriched.