Blessed Thomas Pickering
Profile
Benedictine lay brother at the Saint Gregory Monastery in Douai, France in 1660. Sent to London, England in 1665 to serve as steward to the Benedictines in the queen‘s royal chapel. He came to know Queen Catherine of Braganza and King Charles II, and in 1675 when the all other Benedictines were exiled from England, Thomas was allowed to stay. Falsely accused in 1678 of being part of the Titus Oates Plot to murder the king, he was found guilty and executed. Martyr.
Born
- hanged, drawn and quartered on 9 May 1679 in Tyburn, London, England
- some relics persevered at Downside Abbey
- 8 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI (decree of martyrdom)
MLA Citation
- “Blessed Thomas Pickering“. CatholicSaints.Info. 11 March 2024. Web. 20 May 2024. <>