Canterbury Cathedral (Tomb of St. Anselm)
The burial place of St. Anselm.
St. Anselm → Plan a trip hereThe Story
Canterbury Cathedral, the historic mother church of England, is the burial place of St. Anselm, one of the greatest theologians of the medieval Church, who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 until his death in 1109. Born in Aosta around 1033, Anselm became a Benedictine monk at the Norman abbey of Bec, where his brilliance and holiness drew students from across Europe. His motto, "faith seeking understanding," shaped Western theology: in the Proslogion he proposed his famous argument for the existence of God, and in Cur Deus Homo he explored why God became man. As archbishop he defended the freedom of the Church, twice enduring exile rather than compromise. Anselm died on April 21, 1109, and was buried in the cathedral; tradition holds that his remains were later placed in the chapel that still bears his name. After the upheavals of the English Reformation, when many shrines at Canterbury were dismantled, the precise location of his relics became uncertain, and it remains so today. St. Anselm's Chapel nonetheless preserves his memory within the great church he once led. Declared a Doctor of the Church in 1720, Anselm is venerated by Catholics and Anglicans alike. The cathedral, today the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, is also indelibly linked with the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket in 1170, and it continues to welcome pilgrims drawn by nine centuries of Christian witness.
Church Recognition
St. Anselm is venerated as a canonized saint and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1720; Canterbury Cathedral, though part of the Church of England since the Reformation, preserves his memory in St. Anselm's Chapel and welcomes Catholic pilgrims.
Catholic Teaching
Anselm's "faith seeking understanding" exemplifies the harmony of faith and reason taught by the Church (CCC 156–159), and honoring his resting place expresses the veneration of the saints within the communion of saints (CCC 946–962).
Plan Your Visit
Practical
Additional Information
Visitors can see St. Anselm's Chapel, the site of St. Thomas Becket's martyrdom, and the great medieval church that was England's foremost pilgrimage destination for centuries. The cathedral is open to visitors as a working Anglican cathedral, and St. Anselm's feast is kept on April 21.
Go Deeper
See the cathedral's official website (https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org) for visitor information; for St. Anselm himself, his Proslogion and Cur Deus Homo remain widely available, and the Catechism treats faith and reason in CCC 156–159.
Location
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In the Area
Other sacred sites within 40 miles.