Church of St Mary Magdalene and St Lawrence, Faversham

The Church of St Mary Magdalene and St Lawrence is the oldest building in Faversham and is a much-loved landmark. The church dates to the 12th century and is Grade I-listed. Next door to the church is Davington Priory, famous for being the home of Bob Geldof, who rose to stardom with the Boomtown Rats and organised Live Aid. Sadly, this church is where the funerals for Geldof’s wife, Paula Yates, and daughter, Peaches Geldof, were held in 2000 and 2014, respectively. Unusually, this church is dedicated to two saints.

On the main patronage of this church: After the Mother of God, "MARY MAGDALENA" is the woman most frequently mentioned in the writings of the New Testament. Originally known as "Mary of Magdala" - after her place of origin on the Sea of Galilee - the name "Mary Magdalene" has been formed over time.According to the testimony of the evangelists, she is one of the women and men who followed Jesus Christ. According to the biblical accounts, Mary Magdalene is also one of the three who wanted to anoint the body of Jesus on Easter morning after the crucifixion and burial of Jesus and the very first person who ever met the Risen One. Pope Francis has therefore honored her as the 'Apostle of the Apostles', saying at a general audience:+ "She shows us the God who knows us humans, cares for us and looks after our lives. Every person is a story of love that God writes on earth. As with Mary Magdalene, the life of every Christian is taken up in this overflowing joy: we have a God at our side who calls us by name and raises us up, who transforms us and the world through his resurrection."
The feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene in the calendar of saints is unanimously July 22nd in the major Christian denominations.

On the secondary patronage of this church: "Saint LAWRENCE" is one of the early Christian Roman martyrs from a time when Christianity was still strictly forbidden. He was archdeacon of Pope Sixtus II and after his execution was ordered by the pagan emperor Valerian to hand over the treasure of the church. Laurentius asked for three days to do this, distributed the church's assets among the poor inhabitants of Rome and, after the agreed time, came to the emperor with the poor to present them to him as the treasure of the church. He was then tortured to death. Legend has it that he was roasted alive on a grate - this attribute can be seen in many depictions of Saint Lawrence - over coals. He is said to have been in good spirits and asked his executioner if he would turn him over.
The memorial day of Saint Lawrence in the calendar of saints is August 10th, the recorded date of his execution in A.D. 258.