House of More

House Patron: St. Thomas More     
House Color: Purple
Feast Day:  February 7 (his birthday)   

Motto: Ambula in Via Angusta (“Walk the narrow way”)

Symbol: The Raven

According to English legend, there have been ravens at the Tower of London for centuries; when the ravens leave, so the legend goes, England herself will follow.

The royal purple of the House of More exemplifies Saint Thomas More's life; he cared more about the divine law of God than the human law of Henry VIII, King of England. One of the most brilliant scholars of his time, Thomas briefly considered the monastic life before choosing a life of public service and academic excellence. In addition to being a legal expert and master of the Classics, Thomas helped the King write a book in response to Martin Luther entitled "In Defense of the Seven Sacraments." He was famous in England and throughout Europe as a Humanist scholar and as the first lay Chancellor of England. The gold chain across the crest suggests the ceremonial Chain of Office that More renounced when King Henry asked him to act against his conscience. Through trial, imprisonment, and condemnation, Thomas continued to affirm the Church's teaching on marriage and the pope's authority. The crossed axes are the symbol of his martyrdom. Before being beheaded in 1535, he made a final declaration, "I die the King's good servant, and God's first." The motto of the House of More, ambula in via angusta, comes from a prayer he wrote while imprisoned in the Tower of London. There he prayed for the strength to "walk the narrow way that leads to life." Saint Thomas More is the patron of the Diocese of Arlington.

 

 

A statue of Saint Thomas More is located in the rotunda outside the library.