St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth
Monastery information
St Augustine's Abbey from the air
Location in Surrey
Other names	Church of the Holy Ghost Greyfriars Friary Chilworth Friary Chilworth Abbey
Order	Order of St Francis Order of Saint Benedict
Established	18 June 1892 November 2011
Dedicated to	Francis of Assisi Augustine of Canterbury
Diocese	Arundel and Brighton
People
Founder(s)	Mary Anne Alliott Fr Arthur Wells
Architecture
Status	Abbey
Functional Status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated date	28 October 1986
Architect	Frederick Walters
Completion date	18 June 1892
Construction cost	£7,000
Site
Location	Chilworth, Surrey
Coordinates	51°12′31″N 0°31′30″W / 51.208745°N 0.525123°W / 51.208745; -0.525123

St Augustine's Abbey, also known as Chilworth Abbey, is a special Roman Catholic building in Chilworth, Surrey. It's a Benedictine abbey now, but it used to be a Franciscan friary. A friary is a place where friars (like monks) live and study. The building was designed by Frederick Walters and finished in 1892. It's considered an important historical building, which is why it's "Grade II listed." You can visit the abbey church every day of the year.

The Friary Years
Becoming an Abbey
- Life at the Abbey Today
Gallery
- Outside the Abbey
- Inside the Abbey
See also

The Friary Years

Plaque dedicated to Mary Anne Alliott

Building the Friary

Work on the friary began in 1890. Frederick Walters, a famous architect, designed it. He also designed another important building nearby called St. John's Seminary in Wonersh.

The money for the friary, about £7,000, came from a gift left by Mary Anne Alliott. She was the aunt of Fr Arthur Wells, who started the friary. On June 18, 1892, the friary and its church were officially opened and blessed by the Bishop of Southwark. The friary was built to be a place where new Franciscan friars could train. This training period is called a novitiate.

Special Features and Music

In the middle of the friary, there's a special garden area called a cloister. A yew tree was planted there. This tree grew from a small piece taken from a very old yew tree at Muckross Abbey in Ireland.

In 1915, a large organ was put into the friary. It was built by a company called Lewis & Co. John Courage, who owned the company and also the Courage Brewery, paid for the organ. Around the same time, a famous composer named Albert Ketèlbey visited the friary. He was inspired by his visit and wrote a well-known piece of music called In a Monastery Garden.

Serving the Community

In 1945, the friars at Chilworth Friary also started looking after the local church, which was called Holy Ghost Church. They helped the community grow and even opened another small church in Gomshall.

Becoming an Abbey

In 2011, the Franciscan friars announced they would be leaving Chilworth. The friars moved to other Franciscan houses in Britain, and the Holy Ghost Church closed.

At the same time, another abbey called St Augustine's Abbey in Ramsgate also closed. The Benedictine monks from that abbey, who belong to the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation, were looking for a smaller place to live. When Chilworth Friary became available, they decided to move there. That's how Chilworth Friary became St Augustine's Abbey.

Life at the Abbey Today

The monks at St Augustine's Abbey follow the Rule of St Benedict. This means their daily life is centered around prayer and Mass in the Abbey Church. They often use a mix of Latin and English, including special singing called Gregorian Chant.

There are currently eight monks and one person training to become a monk living at the abbey. They also have lay oblates, who are people who follow the Benedictine way of life but don't live at the abbey.

The monks welcome visitors and have a guest house. They offer different programs like retreats, study days, and meditation sessions. They also make and sell skin creams and furniture polish using beeswax. The monks at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth, also work on a big book called 'The Book of Saints, A Comprehensive Biographical Dictionary'.

Even though St Augustine's Abbey is not a regular parish church, its abbey church is open to everyone. You can attend their services and other events throughout the year.