Abdon and Sennen
Christian martyrs of the 3rd century
Feast: 30 July (1962 Missal) · not on the current Roman calendar
Who they were
Abdon and Sennen were Persian martyrs under Decius, around 250, venerated at Rome since the third century, though their later Acts contain invented details about their coming to Rome and their torments. They were buried by the subdeacon Quirinus and moved under Constantine to the cemetery of Pontianus on the road to Porto, where a fresco shows them receiving crowns from Christ.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: they have been honoured as martyrs since the third century.
Why that counted as sanctity
Two Christians from Persia gave their lives for Christ at Rome, and the Roman Church has honoured them ever since.
Connected on this site
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Sts. Abdon and Sennen
- Wikidata Q308330 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Abdon and Sennen (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.