THE
P RTAL
April 2018
Page 13
church to be a centre for the community, and not just and we had buckets all around the place, there was dry
Catholics. He had a school and a sort of hospital in rot and subsidence in the tower.
his house where he has attended sailors who had been
shipwrecked.
“With the Monks having moved out, this was no
longer a parish church. The parish church was another
“His son Edward designed and built the monastery church across the town for the whole of the area. There
across the road, and another son Peter Paul was also was a question mark. What do we do with this old
an architected. He is responsible for the Sacred Heart pile? As beautiful as it is, it looked impossible to turn
altar and the two side chapels.”
around. It was going to take millions of pounds and it
has no parish or congregation. What can we do here?
As we were talking, the Rector, Fr
Marcus Holden walked in. We asked Fr
“But, I knew immediately on arrival
Marcus to tell us a bit about himself. “I’m
this couldn’t be lost for the catholic faith.
a Lancastrian from a Catholic family.
It was important for two great reasons.
My family have always been English
First, it was the church for St Augustine
and have always been Catholic, which
near to where he landed. Catholics
makes me part of a very small group
were not properly commemorating that
which goes back before the reformation
really as Catholics. Secondly, it was
times.
an architectural gem; Pugin’s personal
church where he was buried. His whole
“A lot of Lancastrians kept the faith -
vision here was to revive the faith. He
even ordinary people like my own family
called this the cradle of Catholicism in
and not just noble families. When I was Fr Marcus Holden
England.
seven we moved to Wales. I grew up in Pembrokeshire
“For those two reasons, we (myself, the parishioners
in the beautiful parish of Tenby. I travelled around a
and the local people) realised the importance of this
lot since the age of eighteen.
site. We worked together to create a vision to keep it
“I went to the University of Oxford and then I was open. We founded the friends of St Augustine’s. We
sent to the English College in Rome. It was there I began the process of getting grants and raising funds
discovered my vocation to the priesthood. I spent six to restore the building; initially to get the lights back
years at the English College where the martyrs used to on and some heat and to plug the immediate gaps.
train to come back to this land to keep the Faith alive. It was the Archbishop’s desire as well that we should
I was very much inspired by them. I felt part of their have a shrine for St Augustine. It had been four
story. Being in Rome at the heart of the church was a hundred and seventy four years since the last shrine
great joy, with people from all different cultures and of St Augustine had been destroyed in Canterbury
under Henry VIII in 1538 so in the year 2012, that’s
backgrounds, focused on the same ends.
two years after making the decision to restore and
“We were told about St Augustine and his mission to save this building, this place was designated as the
England. In the chapel in the English College I used to official Shrine of St Augustine. It’s only six years
sit in one of the choir stalls, and directly across from old; its not an old shrine but it’s an old church in an
me there was a Roundel of St Augustine on a boat with ancient important place.”
his monks coming to England. I was inspired by that.
The Church and Shrine is a stunning place. It is an
“I was ordained 2005 for the diocese of Southwark holy place, a place where prayer is valid. One could say
and was a curate in Balham and then Tunbridge Wells. it is a “thin” place, if you know what we mean.
Then I was made parish priest of Ramsgate. I was also
These two websites bit.ly/augustineshrine and bit.ly/
given the task of working out a future for this building
pugin-augustine will help if you want to be a pilgrim
of St Augustine’s. It was in danger of being closed.
(or even a tourist) yourself.
“When I arrived here in 2010 there was only one
Perhaps when you have said your prayers, asked St
mass a week. The monks had moved out of the church
and it was being run by the parish up the road. The Augustine to pray for England, and prayed for the soul
one mass a week was in darkness as there was no of Augustus Pugin, you will walk round the outside
electricity! It was freezing cold. You could see your of the church. If you do, you will come across The
own breath as you said the prayers. It was also very Lookout, a splendid little café. Their bacon sandwiches
wet because rain water was coming through the roof are wonderful. Mention T he P ortal if you do!