In 2017 I was blessed to have a sabbatical to study Spiritual Direction in England.
Specifically in Canterbury. Canterbury is the place that St. Augustine chose to settle his mission to bring Christianity to the Pagan Kingdom of Kent in the 7th Century. It later became famous as the pilgrimage place following the martyrdom of Thomas Becket. Until the reformation there were at least two Benedictine Monasteries of Men in Canterbury: Christ Church Priory (Cathedral), and St. Augustine’s Abbey (outside the wall of the city). The place was home to many saints, among them St. Augustine, St. Anselm, St. Mellitus, and St. Thomas Becket.
This chalice set was given to me for my 25th anniversary of ordination by the Reverend David Lord and his wife Lyn. David is an Anglican priest who studied spiritual direction with me. He lives and ministers in Perth, Western Australia. David and Lyn flew all the way from Australia to celebrate my jubilee at our Abbey of Muensterschwarzach. The chalice set is decorated with the Canterbury cross. It is designed after a Saxon brooch dating from around 850 that was found in Canterbury in 1867.
My time in Canterbury was very rewarding and I feel I came away with some great insights into my own spiritual path, and with tools to accompany others on their spiritual journeys. For this reason, and because of the deep Benedictine roots, I feel quite bonded to the place and to people who walked with me, people like David. This special gift is a symbol of that bond, of our Ecumenical relationship, and especially our bond in the Eucharist.
“That in all things God my be glorified!”