Thomas Abel
English priest and Catholic martyr
Feast: 30 July (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Thomas Abel, an Oxford graduate, was chaplain to Queen Catherine of Aragon and taught her languages and music. He wrote in defence of her marriage to Henry VIII.
Imprisoned in 1532 and again from 1533, he was kept in close confinement until he was executed at Tyburn on 30 July 1540.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
A queen's chaplain who defended her marriage to the death.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
Connected on this site
- Edward Powell Blessed“He was executed in 1540 with Blessed Thomas Abel.” — this site's research
- Richard Fetherston Blessed“Refusing the Oath of Supremacy, he was sent to the Tower in 1534 and executed at Smithfield on 30 July 1540 with Thomas Abel and Edward Powell.” — this site's research
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Blessed Thomas Abel
- Wikidata Q1685825 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Thomas Abel (martyr) (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.