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 called Chilworth Abbey, is a special religious place in Chilworth, Surrey. It's a Roman Catholic Benedictine abbey. The building was designed by Frederick Walters and built in 1892. It's a Grade II listed building, meaning it's important for its history and architecture. Before becoming an abbey, it was a Franciscan friary. A friary is a home for friars, who are like monks but often live and work more directly with people. You can visit the abbey church every day of the year.

The Friary Years
Becoming an Abbey
- A New Home for Monks
- 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

Building the friary started in 1890. The architect, Frederick Walters, designed it. He also designed another important building nearby, St. John's Seminary. A woman named Mary Anne Alliott paid for the friary. She left £7,000 in her will for this project. She was the aunt of Fr Arthur Wells, who started the friary.

On June 18, 1892, the friary and its church were officially opened. The Bishop of Southwark led the special ceremony. The friary was built to be a training place for new Franciscan friars in Britain. This training period is called a novitiate.

Special Features and Music

In the middle of the friary's cloister (an open area surrounded by covered walkways), there is a yew tree. 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 Lewis & Co and Courage Brewery, paid for the organ. The architect gave permission for it to be installed. In the same year, a famous composer named Albert Ketèlbey visited the friary. He was inspired to write his well-known music piece, In a Monastery Garden.

Serving the Community

In 1945, the friars at Chilworth also took care of the local church, Holy Ghost Church. This church grew, and the friary even helped with services in another village called Gomshall. This shows how the friars were involved in the local community.

Becoming an Abbey

A New Home for Monks

In 2011, the Franciscan friars announced they would leave Chilworth. They moved to other Franciscan homes in Britain. The Holy Ghost Church, which they had looked after, then closed.

Around the same time, another special place, St Augustine's Abbey in Ramsgate, also closed. The Benedictine monks from Ramsgate, who belong to the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation, needed a new, smaller place to live. When Chilworth Friary became available, they decided to move there. This is 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 is a set of guidelines for how monks should live. Their daily life includes praying the Divine Office and attending Mass in the Abbey Church. They often use a mix of Latin and English, and sing Gregorian Chant.

Currently, there are eight monks and one person training to become a monk. There are also lay oblates, who are people who follow the Benedictine way of life but do not live in the monastery.

The monks welcome visitors. They have a guest house and offer different programs. These include retreats, visits for people thinking about becoming monks, study days, and meditation sessions. They also make and sell skin creams and furniture polish using beeswax. The monks at Chilworth also work on a large book called 'The Book of Saints, A Comprehensive Biographical Dictionary'.

Even though St Augustine's Abbey is not a regular parish church, its church is open to everyone. People can attend services every day of the year. The abbey also holds other special events throughout the year.