Our History
“O Lord our God, grant us grace to desire Thee with our whole heart; that, so desiring, we may seek, and seeking find Thee; and so finding Thee may love Thee; and in loving Thee, may hate those sins from which Thou hast redeemed us.”
- St. Anselm of Canterbury
Humble Beginnings
The present building was constructed in 1964 as a hall for a church that never materialised; the site having been acquired by the parish of St Augustine’s, Tunbridge Wells.
A chapel was added in 1980, when plans for the larger church were abandoned. From 1980-2011 St Anselm's became a Mass Centre linked to the nearby parish of S. Justus, Paddock Wood and was served by its priest. They were assisted by a deacon, Bill Eason.
A New Chapter Begins
In Advent 2011 the situation changed. Two Anglican ministers, alongside 72 lay faithful, left the nearby Anglican church of St. Barnabas, Tunbridge Wells seeking unity with Rome.
They were amongst the first members of the recently erected Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham; a papal initiative set up by Pope Benedict XVI.
The Archbishop of Southwark, Rt. Revd. Peter Smith, ordained both men into the Catholic priesthood and announced that St. Anselm’s would be erected as a quasi parish served by them.
A new chapter had begun. Today the church flourishes as a parish of the Archdiocese of Southwark but run by clergy of the Ordinariate.
A New Lease of Life
In 2015, with the help of grants and loans, a new hall was built enabling the building to be transformed into permanent space for worship.
The new hall was opened by Bishop John Hine and dedicated to his memory (he was raised in the village as a boy). The Hine Room now serves as community space for a nursery during the week and as fellowship space for the parish at weekends.
Meanwhile the interior of the church has been beautified with the arrival of salvaged furnishings.
The building has been ordered in such a way as to reflect the English spirituality that lies at the heart of the Ordinariate vision.
Find us here:
St. Anselm’s Catholic Church
Lower Green Road
Pembury
Kent
TN2 4DZ
Email: edwardtomlinson@rcaos.org.uk
Phone: 01892 825009
