The Becket Lecture
Becket BiographyThe annual Becket Lecture for 2027 takes place in the St Thomas Centre at Northampton Cathedral at 2.30pm on Saturday 3rd July. All are welcome to attend.
The 2026 Becket Lecture invited us to consider what it means to speak the truth in a world where truth can sometimes be uncomfortable, costly or difficult to hear. Fr Toby Lees, Priest Director of Radio Maria UK, reflected on the words of Christ, “The truth will set you free,” while reminding us that freedom does not always come without a price.
Drawing on the witness of St Thomas Becket, Fr Toby explored the inseparable relationship between truth and mercy. Christian communication is not simply about saying what is true, but about seeking the good of the person who hears it. Truth without mercy can wound; mercy without truth can lose its meaning.
Becket’s courage reminds us that fidelity to Christ may require us to speak with honesty and conviction, while doing so with humility, charity and love. His witness continues to challenge us in how we communicate, listen and live our faith today.
The third annual Becket Lecture in 2025 was delivered by Fr Andrew Coy, Secretary to the Papal Nuncio and a priest of the Diocese of Northampton. As part of the Diocese’s Becket Festival, the lecture, titled “Becket: A Saint for Europe”,drew a thoughtful crowd to reflect on the enduring witness of Saint Thomas Becket and his relevance for today’s Church and society.
Fr Coy traced the life of the martyred archbishop, highlighting the European dimensions of Becket’s story, from his formation in Paris to his exile in France and the widespread veneration he received across the continent following his death. But it was Becket’s spiritual legacy that stood at the heart of Fr Coy’s message.
To listen to Fr Andrew Coy’s lecture, click here
The second lecture in 2024 was given by Father Gerald Skinner who spoke about:
Hymn of Thanksgivings – the life of the Venerable Ignatius Spencer’.
Ignatius Spencer is linked to the diocese though his family at Althorp House. His was the story of a remarkable figure who for some was ‘a dirty, mad mendicant’ and for others no less than a
saint, having come from a family very much part of the secular establishment.
The first lecture in 2023 was given by Dr Judith Champ who took the title:
The complicated saint: Thomas Becket and English Catholics.
Thomas was found guilty at his trial at Northampton Castle before fleeing into exile. This was the beginning of his challenge to secular authority and the example he then sets for today.
Download the text below:
The Complicated Saint by Dr Judith Champ
Professor Champ died on Easter Sunday 2026. We give thanks to God for the gift of her life and for her unwavering dedication to the research and preservation of Catholic history. She had a particular gift for bringing history to life to inform the formation of priests for the mission of the church in our own times. May she rest in peace and his ein glory.
