Canterbury St Dunstan

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St Dunstan's Church in Canterbury is open from 9am-3pm daily and has been a place of worship and pilgrimage for more than 800 years. The church's patron saint is Dunstan, a former Archbishop of Canterbury and who many consider to be one of England's greatest saints. St Dunstan's Church attracts visitors and pilgrims from around the world everyday due to two significant historical events.

The first one followed the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170. He was Archbishop of Canterbury at that time and was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by four knights, who were loyal to King Henry II. They were prompted to kill Becket after overhearing King Henry cursing Becket with the famous words, 'Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?' Mortified by what had happened, the king came to Canterbury in an act of public penance for the Archbishop's death. He arrived from London on 12 July 1174 and stopped at St Dunstan's Church, just short of the ancient city wall. It was in the church that the king started his public act of penance. He exchanged his regal robes for a sackcloth shirt and went barefoot from St Dunstan's to Canterbury Cathedral to undertake further acts of penance.

The second event followed the execution of Sir Thomas More (later St Thomas More). He was the Lord High Chancellor of England from October 1529 to 16 May 1532, in the reign of King Henry VIII. Sir Thomas More opposed the Protestant Reformation and King Henry's separation from the Catholic Church. Sir Thomas More refused to acknowledge the king as Supreme Head of the Church of England, and the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, More was convicted of treason and beheaded. His head was placed on a pike on Old London Bridge.

Sir Thomas More's daughter, Margaret Roper, had a house almost opposite St Dunstan's Church. It was she who rescued her father's head from London Bridge. It was later interred in a vault within St Dunstan's church, in the Roper Chapel, where it safely resides to this day. (The vault and casket are not open to public view).

Because of these strong historical connections and today's mission of witness, the church is a magnet for drawing pilgrims and tourists alike.

For details on all the services and activities at St Dunstan's Church in Canterbury, go to www.dunstanmildredpeter.org.uk