Aylesford Priory
A
ylesford Priory is the principal house of the Carmelite religious order which came to Kent in 1242. In 1247, it was officially recognised by the Bishop of Rochester and hosted the first General Chapter of the Order outside the Holy Land. The Chapter effectively changed the lifestyle of the Carmelites from hermits to mendicant friars. In 1348 at the Vigil of the Feast of the Holy Cross, the site of the cemetery and the new church were blessed, but the church was not consecrated until 1417, possibly delayed by the Black Death. Alas, in 1538 the Friars of Aylesford were forced out of the priory to return only 400 years later in 1949. In its 750year history, the place has changed use many times. After the Reformation, the property was converted into a stately home. Royalists during the Civil War, merchant bankers, Second World War servicemen and even the leader of a Scout group have all left their mark. In 1949, it was put up for sale, enabling the Carmelites to buy back their motherhouse. Fr Malachy Lynch, the first Prior, began restoring the buildings. The tranquil gardens were restored, and chapels were built and adorned with distinguished ceramic artworks. Among the artists were Adam Kossowski*, who made the ceramics and L. Clark and his
son Michael, both sculptors. Fr Malachy described The Friars as "a prayer in stone". In partnership with Adrian Gilbert Scott, Fr Malachy conceived the idea of the openair shrine and gathered craftsmen and artists to help him. Building commenced in 1958 and the Shrine was dedicated to the Glorious Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1965. It now serves as a centre of prayer for all Christians in Kent and beyond, a place of peace for everyone. The Friars is now part of the life of the County of Kent – both religious and social. A good number of organisations enjoy using the facilities for meetings and celebrations. The beauty of the place and the works of art have also attracted the media, and over the past decade a number of programmes have been broadcast by the BBC and ITV. Here, prayer and work are intertwined; while personal and public prayer are at the core of their lives, the friars are also busy serving the wider community. Each friar has his area of work at the priory (administration, maintenance, giving retreats or counselling etc.). As the priory is a major pilgrimage centre, the community does all it can to take care of the spiritual needs of pilgrims who come from a variety of backgrounds. They want to serve the people through friendship, 19
