The relics of Saint Thomas More are primarily divided between two locations and include his head or skull and his hair shirt.
The head of St. Thomas More, who was beheaded in 1535, is traditionally said to rest in the Roper Vault at St Dunstan’s Church in Canterbury, England. This skull has been preserved as a first-class relic and is considered a vital part of his physical remains. However, it has been deteriorating underground, and there are current plans and consultations to exhume, preserve, and place it in a more appropriate reliquary or shrine above ground for public veneration and pilgrimage, especially with the 500th anniversary of his death approaching in 2035. This initiative is aimed at better conserving the relic and fostering Christian reconciliation and unity. The exact condition of the skull is unclear, but the intention is to stabilize it and display it respectfully.
Another important relic is the hair shirt worn by St. Thomas More during his imprisonment in the Tower of London before his execution. This garment made from goat’s hair, symbolizing his penitence and identification with Christ’s suffering, has been enshrined and made available for public veneration at Buckfast Abbey in southwest England. It is considered a significant secondary relic intimately linked to his faith and martyrdom.
Additionally, the remainder of his body (excluding the head) is said to be buried at the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London, alongside St. John Fisher, another martyr.
Thus, the key relics are the skull at St Dunstan’s Church in Canterbury, undergoing preservation efforts, and the hair shirt enshrined at Buckfast Abbey, with other bodily remains in London. These relics collectively highlight More’s legacy as a martyr, patron saint of statesmen and lawyers, and a symbol of conscience and faith.
The creation and movement of St. Thomas More’s relics are deeply intertwined with the historical events surrounding his martyrdom and consequent veneration.
St. Thomas More was beheaded on July 6, 1535, after refusing to swear the Oath of Supremacy, which required recognition of King Henry VIII as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, effectively rejecting papal authority. This was part of Henry VIII’s break with Rome over his annulment request to marry the Protestant Anne Boleyn, which More opposed on religious grounds.
After More’s execution on Tower Hill, his head was placed on a spike atop London Bridge as a warning to others who might defy the king. This was a common practice for traitors.
Margaret Roper, More’s daughter, rescued his head by bribing the executioner, preventing it from being thrown into the River Thames. She kept it safe, eventually placing it in a lead casket.
St. Thomas More’s body is known to be buried somewhere beneath the altar of the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London, but it is not possible to determine precisely where or to establish which remains are definitively his due to the nature of the burial and the passage of time. His body was placed there after his execution in 1535 and is generally considered to be in an unmarked grave within that chapel
More’s daughter, Margaret Roper, was instrumental in rescuing his head immediately after his execution. She bribed the executioner to prevent the head from being displayed on London Bridge or discarded into the River Thames. Margaret then kept the skull safe, initially placing it in a lead casket.
Later, the head was passed down to More’s granddaughter, Elizabeth, Lady Bray. Following Lady Elizabeth’s death (around 1558), the head was placed in the Roper family vault beneath the Chapel of St. Nicholas within St Dunstan’s Church in Canterbury.
This direct family intervention was critical for the relic’s survival during an era of hostility toward Catholic relics, so that family custodianship effectively provided a protective continuity that shielded the relic from destruction during the turbulent Reformation period in England.
St Dunstan’s Church, originally Catholic, became Anglican after the Reformation, complicating the relic’s preservation.
Due to anti-Catholic laws enforced in England after the Reformation under Henry VIII and later monarchs, Catholic relics and shrines suffered destruction or suppression. Many Catholic families, including More’s descendants and sympathizers, safeguarded relics and artifacts in secret or abroad.
Some relics connected to More, including personal artifacts, were preserved by Jesuits and Catholic institutions such as Stonyhurst College (founded in 1593 in what was then the Spanish Netherlands) to protect them during periods of persecution. Stonyhurst became a major repository for English Catholic relics and artifacts, including some belonging to More’s family or circle.
St. Thomas More’s hairshirt is currently enshrined and on permanent public display at Buckfast Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in southwest England. The hairshirt, made from goat’s hair, was worn by More during his imprisonment in the Tower of London before his execution in 1535. After passing through various hands over the centuries, it was transferred to Buckfast Abbey in 2011 for safekeeping and public veneration, where it has been displayed since 2016 above an altar in the chapel of the Holy Cross.
The continuing interest in the relics of St. Thomas More, especially the planned exhumation and conservation of his skull from the Anglican St Dunstan’s Church in Canterbury, reflects a modern and meaningful ecumenical effort. This rare circumstance—where a prominent Catholic saint’s relic is housed in an Anglican church—has become a symbol and practical opportunity for ecumenical dialogue, cooperation, and reconciliation between Catholic and Anglican communities.
The Anglican parish council and leadership at St Dunstan’s actively invite collaboration and consultation with the Vatican and Catholic authorities as they seek to preserve the relic for public veneration. This open cooperation across denominational lines embodies the spirit of ecumenism, emphasizing common respect and shared Christian heritage rather than division.
The relic’s preservation project, as noted, timed for the 500th anniversary of More’s martyrdom in 2035, is seen as a chance to turn what was historically a source of religious conflict—the English Reformation—into a platform for unity. It promotes mutual respect and spiritual communion, fostering Christian reconciliation by honoring a figure important to both traditions.
Making the relic more accessible through a reliquary or shrine will encourage pilgrimage by believers from multiple denominations, serving as a living witness to shared faith and conscience across Christian traditions. This echoes broader ecumenical aims of visible unity through joint worship, pilgrimage, and remembrance.
The project encourages wider education about More’s legacy as a martyr of conscience, bridging theological divides with a focus on shared values like faithfulness, conscience, and moral courage. Such efforts characterize current trends in ecumenical relations that emphasize common ground and joint witness in the world.
We should that the holy relics of Saint Thomas More will bring foster and nurture Christian unity, so that England will grow in the faith.
Back in 2020, the Catholic Church re-dedicated England as the “Dowry of Mary” in 2020 to renew and deepen the nation’s historic spiritual relationship with the Virgin Mary during a time of national and global crisis.
This act served as a renewal of the original dedication made by King Richard II in 1381, a solemn vow made during political unrest for Mary’s protection. The 2020 rededication happened amid the coronavirus pandemic, which was seen as a moment calling for spiritual renewal, national entrustment, and personal promises of devotion to Mary, reflecting a desire for her guidance and protection once again in a time of uncertainty and turmoil.
No doubt, the desire to promote veneration for Saint Thomsas More is the result of this re-dedication, as England works to reaffirm its rich and ancient Catholic heritage as “Mary’s Dowry.”
These relics will also foster personal commitment and communal prayer, inviting Catholics and Anglicans to renew their devotion through promises and entrustment prayers while promoting a national identity rooted in faith and trust.
This ecumenical significance stems largely from Saint Thomas More’s legacy as a symbol of conscience and faithfulness to religious truth despite political pressure. His unwavering stand for the unity and authority of the Catholic Church, even at the cost of his life, makes him a figure both traditions can honor. The proposed exhumation and conservation of his relic intend to make it more accessible for veneration by pilgrims from across Christian denominations, fostering mutual respect and spiritual connection.
Saint Thomas More, pray for us.
