St Anselm in Canterbury

Visiting Canterbury Cathedral recently, I was happy to see the new Chapel of St Anselm restored.

St Anselm was born in Aosta and then buried in Canterbury Cathedral after his death in 1109.

The life of St Anselm is in The Catholic Encyclopedia

On 21st April 1909, St Pope Pius X issued his Encyclical Communium Rerum on the eight hundredth anniversary of the Death of St Anselm.

On 21st April 2006, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr Rowan Williams) dedicated the new altar in the chapel.

The green marble altar was gifted to the cathedral's St Anselm chapel by Roman Catholics from Aosta.

It was blessed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, with the Bishop of Aosta the Abbot of Bec and members of both their communities. among those attending the service.

The altar was made by British sculptor Stephen Cox.

The Dean of the Cathedral, the Very Revd Robert Willis said:

"It was the occasion of ecumenical pilgrimage on the part of those who came from France and Italy and an occasion also of great thanksgiving for the life,teaching and ministry of Anselm. I very much hope that this simple and beautiful gift will be a constant sign of pilgrimage, of unity and above all of God’s loving generosity in the gift of his son Jesus Christ."