History
Discovering St Augustine’s
Pugin’s Masterpiece in Ramsgate
The church of St Augustine in Ramsgate is the most personal and perfect design of the great architect, Augustus Pugin. Here he put into practice the ‘true principles’ of medieval-style Gothic architecture, in which he so passionately believed. He called St Augustine’s his ‘ideal church’ and ‘my child’. He gave everything to make it a shining example of his ideas and also a fitting memorial to the arrival of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England.
As well as its importance as Pugin’s personal church and his burial place, St Augustine’s significance touches many aspects of our built and cultural heritage and spiritual lives. Narrated by ITN’s Alastair Stewart.
DETAILS: (1 DVD – 16 minutes)
En Avant
An Introduction to Augustus Welby Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin – regarded as one of the most important figures of the 19th century and one of England’s finest architects. Most famously known for designing the interiors of the Houses of Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower, or ‘Big Ben’, Pugin’s work also included the design of churches, monasteries, houses, hospitals, schools and rectories.
Pugin loved Ramsgate and the sea. As a devout and fervent Catholic convert, he was drawn to the town by its sacred association with St Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, who landed his ship here in 597AD. Narrated by ITN’s Alastair Stewart.
DETAILS: (1 DVD – 15 minutes)
Faith of Our Fathers
In Search of the English Martyrs
During the English Reformation, hundreds of brave men and women suffered persecution in order to preserve the Catholic faith. In this 2-part film, Fr Marcus Holden and Fr Nicholas Schofield lead you on a journey to learn more about some of these heroic figures and to come to appreciate their significance for Catholics today. Along the way you’ll discover many places to help re-tell the stories of these courageous souls.
DETAILS: (2 DVDs – 114 minutes)
Mendel
The Father of Genetics
Fr Gregor Mendel is the founder of genetics and he discovered the laws of inheritance thanks to his experiments with peas. In the 19th century, he anticipated the discovery of DNA and the human genome and showed that science and faith go hand in hand to understand Creation. Some called him “the gardener of God”… Did not the resurrected Jesus Himself appear as a gardener?
DETAILS: (1 DVD – 52 minutes)
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£10.95Add to cart
The Early Christians
The Incredible Odyssey of Early Christians
The Empire persecuted the Christians and was eventually converted. The Barbarians sacked Rome, but were converted too. How did the religion of Love manage to survive against paganism and barbarism? How did the first Christians live? Who were their most terrible enemies: idols, lions, Jews or heretics? How did they defend their faith? How did they propagate it?
DETAILS: (3 DVDs – 270 minutes)
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£19.95Add to cart
The Mission that made England
The True Story of St Augustine
Unsure of their reception, Augustine bravely asked the local King, Ethelbert, for permission to preach to his people. The missionaries were invited by the King to Canterbury and gradually, through their holy lives and their preaching, the king and the people were converted to Christianity. From Canterbury the Christian faith spread rapidly and with the help later from Irish missionaries in the north, England became a Christian country. Not only did Augustine’s mission bring Christianity, it also opened people’s minds to art, music and literature and gave rise to great architecture.
DETAILS: (1 DVD – 12 minutes)
The Story of Walsingham
England’s National Shrine of Our Lady
Presented by Joanna Bogle Beautifully filmed on location, this film reveals the story of what once was known as one of the four great shrines of Christendom, visited by Saints and Kings. Now, after centuries of desolation, Walsingham is once more a place of pilgrimage with thousands visiting every year.
DETAILS: (1 DVD – 58 minutes)
To Be a Pilgrim
The Canterbury Way
An ancient trail of pilgrimage runs through south-east England; a pathway along which so much of English identity converges. It is the way of St Thomas Becket, the martyr who stood up to a King and inspired Christendom. It is a route that drew countless pilgrims in ages past, captured the imagination of Chaucer and is reviving in our own time. This film follows Fr Marcus Holden and Fr Nicholas Schofield as they journey from London to Canterbury. Along the way they discover the story of St Thomas and some fascinating traditions…
DETAILS: (2 DVD – 126 minutes)