For days 2 and 3 of my journey (Fri/Sat last week), I undertook a walking pilgrimage across Kent, England's southeastern region. Not only was this area the ancestral homeland of the Burden family, it was also the site of a major event in church history, one that was near and dear to my heart as a student of early Christian missions: the evangelization of the Angles & Saxons, setting England on a remarkable history of Christian faith. This happened near the end of the sixth century, when Pope Gregory deployed Augustine (not the more famous church father) and a band of helpers to bring the gospel to the new pagan settlers of Britain. Augustine landed near what is now Ramsgate, on England's southeastern tip, where he met and preached to the king, then was invited to come and establish a mission at the royal city of Canterbury. My journey, then, would be to walk that ancient mission team's journey, from Ramsgate to Canterbury, where the old abbey of St Augustine of Canterbury still lies. Here are the two main days of that journey, ending at Fordwich, just outside Canterbury. Tomorrow I'll post about my entry into Canterbury on Sunday morning.
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| Ramsgate harbor |
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| Shrine of St Augustine of Canterbury, Ramsgate |
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| St Augustine's Cross, marking where he preached the gospel to the king |
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| St Mary's Church, Fordwich - a decommissioned medieval church that now hosts pilgrims - I stayed one night here |
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| Path through the woods near the River Stour |