A VISIT TO ST. AUGUSTINE'S ABBEY (Hal Kulp)

In the Sixth Century, Augustine was sent by Pope Gregory the Great to re-introduce Christianity to England. In 598, on ground given to him by King Ethelbert, the first convert, Augustine founded an abbey at Canterbury to celebrate his successful mission. The abbey was in continuous use for almost a thousand years, until Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530's. In 1538, the abbey site was converted to a royal palace for Anne of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife.

Today, most of what remains is ruins, preserved by English Heritage, the quasi-governmental trust that preserves most English historical sites not in government or private hands. The site is a bit confusing because St. Augustine's has the remains of not one, but two abbey complexes dating from different periods. The earlier Saxon monastery was largely replaced by more "modern" buildings, with a nave almost as large as that of Canterbury Cathedral, shortly after the Norman conquest of 1066.

Confounding, to some extent, as well, are the feelings that overcome one when walking this holy ground - the monastery acted as a special burying place for kings and archbishops, which, following imperial Roman tradition, had to be outside city walls - and the grounds are littered with markers identifying the burial places of Augustine and other saints, and those marking altars dedicated to still others. One is, quite literally walking "among the saints".

Having started our tour at 4:30 p.m., Molly and I were the last ones on the ground before they were to close at 6:00 p.m. The site was quiet and the shadows were lengthening in the setting sun. A sense of calm and quiet enveloped us and the grounds, and we both recognized the feeling. Perhaps, for the first time in my life, the "peace that passes all understanding" was palpable. Despite my lack of understanding, the feeling was profound and wonderful, and gave real meaning to our pilgrimage to Canterbury.