Shrine of St Augustine of England opens to visitors seven days a week

St Augustine's volunteers

The shrine of St Augustine of England, Ramsgate, will open to visitors seven days a week from 1 April. This is made possible by volunteers from the Parish and from the Pugin Society, and is in addition to the daily worship that already takes place there. The new opening times are 10am - 4pm every day. Daily Mass is held at 12pm, followed by devotions.

The new opening times will open up access to the church for the increasing number of visitors who come from around the world. St Augustine's is developing an Education, Research, and Visitor Centre, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the new opening times are key to bringing more visitors to St Augustine's and to Thanet.

Rector, Fr Marcus Holden, said: "Recently daytrippers visited from London, expecting such a major building to be open each day. Such an important place for England and the world - religiously, historically, and architecturally - should be open, and we are delighted to be able to meet this expectation."

St Augustine's has several cultural events planned for this year, as well as numerous pilgrimages, and architectural and archaeological visits. In the last week of May the site is hosting the annual St. Augustine Week. In September, the site will host the inaugural Pugin Festival.

St Augustine's was designated a shrine for St Augustine on 1 March 2012 by Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark, and contains one of two known relics of St Augustine. This is the first shrine to the founder of English Christianity since his tomb at St Augustine's, Canterbury, was destroyed during the Reformation. The new shrine welcomes many pilgrims each year.

The former monastery (known as St Augustine's Abbey), across the road from the church, has recently been bought by Catholics from India who are part of the Vincentian tradition, and they have re-named it Divine Retreat Centre UK. St Augustine's church and the Vincentians are developing good links, co-operating on many levels and having friendly exchanges.

St Augustine's is developing as a centre of devotion to St Augustine and of Pugin studies. It is fundraising, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to construct an Education, Research, and Visitor Centre for Pugin and St Augustine. This nationally-important development will be housed in Pugin's buildings on the site. The church was designated the Shrine of St Augustine of Canterbury on 1 March 2012 by Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark. St Augustine's already welcomes many pilgrims as well as visitors with interests in Pugin and his work.

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin is buried at St Augustine's. He was born on 1 March 1812 and became one of the most influential architects of the nineteenth century, leading the Gothic Revival movement which changed the face of towns and cities around the world. He settled in Ramsgate in 1844 and, after building his house - The Grange - he built a church next door - St Augustine's. He died on 14 September 1852.

For more information see: www.augustinefriends.co.uk