author
T. J. (Thomas John) Capel
1836–1911
A Catholic priest and popular Victorian speaker, he became known for energetic writing on confession, church authority, and religious life. His career moved from Ireland and England to the United States, where admiration for his preaching was matched by public controversy.
1 Audiobook
Confession and Absolution
by T. J. (Thomas John) Capel
About the author
Born on October 28, 1836, at Ardmore in County Waterford, Thomas John Capel was raised in a Catholic family and later educated for the priesthood in England and Rome. He was ordained in the early 1860s and soon built a reputation as an able preacher, teacher, and advocate for Catholic education.
Capel became a prominent figure in English Catholic life, helping to found St Mary's Hall at Kensington and attracting attention through lectures, sermons, and published religious works. Among the books linked with his name is Confession and Absolution, which reflects the direct, explanatory style that made him a recognizable religious writer.
His life was also marked by serious controversy, and later years took him to the United States, where he continued clerical work for a time. He died in Sacramento, California, on October 23, 1911, leaving behind a life remembered for both influence and dispute.