Sometimes known as the “Cathedral of North London” Saint Augustine’s, Kilburn has its roots in the “Oxford” or “Tractarian” Movement which began with a Sermon preached in 1833 by John Keble in the University Church of S. Mary the Virgin, Oxford. The movement placed a fresh emphasis on the Catholic heritage of the Church of England and its continuity with the pre-Reformation Church. Keble was joined by John Henry Newman, who later became a Roman Catholic, and Edward Bouverie Pusey who became the leader of the movement after Newman’s secessation to Rome. By the 1850’s the Tractarians had gained a great deal of support in the inner city areas of London and began to be known as “Ritualists” because of the ceremonial that was practised in their churches, eucharistic vestments and incense in particular. The term 'Puseyite', after Dr Pusey was also used. This tradition, now well established in the Church of England is usually referred to as Anglo Catholicism. S. Augustine’s was one of a large number of Victorian churches built to witness to Tractarian or Anglo-Catholic ideals.

The Architect - John Loughborough Pearson. Fr Kirkpatrick was already aware of the quality of Pearson’s work from S. Peter’s, Vauxhall and the Convent of the Community of S. Peter in Mortimer Place. It is said that Pearson’s intention was to build a church which would “draw people to their knees.” Inspired by Albi Cathedral in southern France and St Etienne at Caen, the soaring gothic architecture of S. Augustine’s speaks of the majesty of God whilst the wall paintings, carving and stained glass windows are lessons in the Faith once delivered to the Saints. The high altar with its lamps and furnishings is a fitting setting for worship in the beauty of holiness.

S. Augustine’s Church was consecrated on S. Matthias Day, February 24th, 1880 by the Bishop of London. For many years the tower stood in an unfinished state but was finally crowned by the magnificent spire in 1898 when Fr Kirkpatrick - then in his seventy-fifth year! - was hoisted to the giddy height of 240 feet on a small platform in order to lay and bless the top stone.

The Community of the Sisters of the Church (CSC). Closely associated with S. Augustine’s were the Community Sisters of the Church, founded by Mother Emily Ayckbowm, daughter of the Rector of Holy Trinity, Chester. Miss Ayckbowm had already begun the Church Extension Association to help the poor of her father’s parish. When she came to London she started “Ragged Sunday-Schools” with hot tea and buns for poor children and established catechisms and an embroidery room for helping overseas missions. Leaflets about the Faith and hymn-book for Sunday-Schools began to be published. From the Extension Association grew the Community and Emily was clothed as a novice by Fr Kirkpatrick in 1870. No Anglican community expanded so rapidly. In Kilburn Mother Emily founded and the Sisters staffed St Augustine’s schools and an orphanage. Schools, orphanages and children’s homes were begun in several London parishes and eventually spread to other parts of the country and the world. The spirit of the Sisters is well expressed by the choice of S Michael as Patron. The Holy Angels worship and serve God in heaven and minister to God’s people on earth. S. Michael especially is associated with overcoming evil and establishing God’s rule. The Sisters life was grounded in their daily life of prayer - the Mass, the daily offices, silences and meditation. From their love of God overflowed their caring for God’s people, especially the poor. And Mother Emily was prepared to fight any number of battles whenever she came across injustices. After the war the Community moved out to Ham Common. Though much smaller it still seeks to be faithful to the spirit of Mother Emily.

The Community of S. Peter. The Community of S. Peter was founded in 1861 in the parish of Holy Trinity, Brompton by a wealthy layman and his wife, also daughter of a clergyman, Benjamin and Rosamira Lancaster. It started by providing a small convalescent home. As the community grew the Brompton house became too congested and Mr and Mrs Lancaster bought a house in Mortimer Place, Kilburn, which became S. Peter’s Home, then in S. Mary’s parish. As the new low church Vicar gave the Community no encouragement and banned the celebration of the Eucharist in their chapel they attended celebrations at local churches such as S. Mark’s Hamilton Terrace and S. Mary Magdalene’s, Paddington. In 1871 when the temporary church of S. Augustine’s opened they had a spiritual centre within easy reach and Fr Kirkpatrick gave them all the help that they needed. Like the Sisters of the Church the Community of S. Peter opened new houses in poorer parts of London and in 1883 St Peter’s Convent in Woking, Surrey in spacious grounds with a fine chapel designed by Pearson. On St Peter’s Day 1944 the mother house in Kilburn was caught by the blast from a flying-bomb whilst the Community was at Mass in a semi- basement linen room which was used regularly for worship during bombing periods. Many of the houses around were demolished and the convent suffered irreparable damage. But no-one was seriously hurt except the celebrant who was hit with a flying candlestick and cut about the face and head and had a broken nose and the very black eye. A later account claimed that the chalice containing the consecrated Sacrament had been found upright and unspilt when the room was cleared. Fr Atkinson, who was then Vicar, came to rescue the Blessed Sacrament and move it to a safer place, the chapel having had the east window blown out. But he first conducted Devotions and the Sisters walked in Procession singing a hymn. So ended S. Peter’s Day and work of the Sisters in Kilburn. The Woking Convent then became the mother-house.

Protestant Opposition. From the late 1850’s there was some opposition to Catholic practices in the Church of England. Some of this came from “aggrieved” parishioners who resented the liturgical changes that priests had introduced. Much came from Protestant groups who opposed everything Roman Catholic and regarded Tractarian teaching and ritual as “Popery.” Anglo Catholic church services were sometimes interrupted and protests made. The notorious John Kensit who worked for the Protestant Truth Society instigated much of this “brawling” in church. In 1874 the Public Worship Regulation Act was passed to suppress the growth of “Ritualism.” The wearing of Eucharistic vestments and the use of incense were particularly abhorrent and “spies” were sent to “Ritualistic” churches to report on what they saw. This often resulted in prosecutions of offending clergymen and between 1877 and 1882 four priests were imprisoned. It soon became clear that the Public Worship Regulation Act was not working and in order to bring about a measure of uniformity the Bishops agreed to forbid certain liturgical practices in their dioceses whilst allowing others. One of the things forbidden was “the use of incense during the Service.” Fr Kirkpatrick gave a robust response and wrote in the S. Augustine’s, Kilburn parish magazine of November in 1899 -

“In accordance with the directions of the Bishop of London, the ceremonial use of incense during Divine Service to which the congregation have been accustomed for the last few years, was given up on Sunday, the 8th of last month. The use of incense during processions, before or after the service and at the singing of the Introit, has been substituted for the previous use, as being outside the Prayer Book and not in any way contrary to the recent opinion of the Archbishops, nor to the reasons upon which it was based.

The Protests against the Lambeth Decision, a copy of which appears in this number of the Magazine, is now laying in the Church for signature by the whole congregation. It is, of course, important that as many signatures as possible should be obtained without loss of time, as the Churchwardens are anxious that it should reach the Bishop on or before the 14th instant. Separate sheets for signatures by families, persons at a distance, or sick people, can be obtained of Mr Eades, Mr Crosland, or of the Editor.”

John Kensit rented a property in S. Augustine’s parish and was therefore a parishioner. Kensit attended the Easter Vestry meeting of 1901 and had himself nominated by one of his supporters as people’s warden against a Frederick Holiday. Mr Holiday had been a resident parishioner for twenty nine years and was greatly respected in the parish and throughout the diocese, being a member of the House of Laymen for the Province of Canterbury and served on the London Diocesan Conference and the Diocesan Board for Schools; he had been closely connected with the building of the church and its schools and had served as churchwarden for the preceding nine years. At the vote, as expected, Holiday was duly elected, upon which Mr Kensit demanded that a poll should be taken of all those who lived in the parish for which the law provided should there be serious disagreement (even though it was Kensit himself who had caused any disagreement that there might have been!) The Vicar knew the law and wisely agreed that Kensit should have his way and announced that the poll would take place a fortnight later. In the meantime Kensit addressed a meeting in Kilburn Hall at which he enlarged about the distress at what he had seen at S. Augustine’s and the “Babylonish Vestments” worn by the clergy. “The enemy has sowed his priestly tares” he proclaimed. In the meantime churchwardens and sidesmen distributed a letter of support for their Vicar and Mr Holiday. On the day of the Poll the Eucharist was celebrated for the peace of the parish and the man who was persecuting it. A little later the doors opened and for twelve hours the friends and enemies of the Church had an opportunity of recoding their votes in the parish room. Towards the end of the voting grew more brisk and the crowd in the streets grew. At eight o’clock the Vicar ordered the closing of the doors for the count. Mr Holiday polled 290 votes, Mr Kensit 49. Despite the Vicar’s request that there should be no cheering a tremendous cheer went up when the crowd heard the figures. Mr Kensit and his friends quietly left, being protected from the crowds by the police, and sought the retirement of Wycliffe House. The Vicar was escorted home too. “Let’s see the old man home” rang out the affectionate cry and, accompanied by his people, the faithful and much loved pastor returned to the Vicarage to rest from the trouble and distress brought upon him by John Kensit.