Chaplaincy of St Aelred of Rievaulx, Champgenéteux

The Anglican Catholic Church of St Augustine was formed in May 2005.

Originally meeting at Canterbury City Cemetery Chapel. On Low Sunday, 15th April 2007, Bishop Rommie Starks, Episcopal Visitor to the Diocese of the United Kingdom, formally blessed and dedicated a Chapel in the City Centre (within sight of Canterbury Cathedral) – just off the High Street. A former non conformist place of worship reclaimed from secular use and dedicated to our patron, St Augustine – the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

In 2008 our Priest in Charge was elected and, on 20th September 2008, duly consecrated as the Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of the United Kingdom.

In 2008 Bishop Mead commissioned an Icon of a local Saint, Blessed Elizabeth Barton, known as the ‘Maid of Kent’ or “Nun of Kent” who was a Benedictine nun at St. Sepulchre’s Convent in Canterbury (the area is now known as Nunnery Fields) Blessed Elizabeth had visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was martyred on the orders of Henry VIII on 21st of April, 1534. The Icon and its story has been featured in Local Newspapers and on BBC Radio Kent. We believe it to be the only such depiction of Blessed Elizabeth Barton in the world. Bishop Starks (mentioned above) blessed the Icon on Easter Day 2008.

In 2010 our Parish was instrumental in opening the “Canterbury Church Shop” a Christian Gift Shop, Bookshop and Church Supply Company. This was situated, first in Orange Street and then moved into nearby Palace Street in the historic ‘Conquest House’. However in December 2014 the shop relocated to Lydd, on the Romney Marsh in Kent and subsequently became internet based. The shop closed in 2022.