Canterbury Cathedral

By: Kelsey Brecht

While walking down the steps in Canterbury Cathedral, you might notice that the stairs are uneven and worn down from many years of use. If one had done prior studies on the Cathedral, you would know that this was caused from many years of pilgrims climbing up the steps on their hands and knees. Each year hordes of ordinary people embarked on a pilgrimage to worship at the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. Thomas Becket was the archbishop of Canterbury who was violently murdered inside the Cathedral by four knights on December 29, 1170. These knights had been inadvertently sent by King Henry II when they took an exclamation proclaimed by the King too literally. After the murder of Thomas Becket, there had been rumors that local civilians were healed of their ailments after obtaining his bloody clothes. This rumor continued to spread, and so began the pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral.

Walking in the same spot that so many pilgrims did in the past was truly an eye-opening experience. People would spend days, even weeks to travel by foot to worship and pray for a miracle at the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket. My experience at Canterbury Cathedral may have differed significantly from that of the pilgrims because I wasn’t looking for a miracle. Instead, I was there just to see where a saint and martyr, that my religion celebrates, was murdered over 800 years ago. Standing in that exact spot made me feel angry and full of hate. Why was someone murdered for what they believed in, and why does it still happen today? People are judged and even publicly executed for their religious and political choices simply because they may not agree. Standing at the spot where Thomas Becket was murdered helped me realize that these issues aren’t new in today society, but they have been relevant for centuries. The pilgrims walked up those steps with hope for a miracle, but I walked those steps in disbelief because things haven’t changed as much as we would like to think.

Traveling abroad helped me learn a lot about myself. I grew up on a farm in Eastern Iowa with no close neighbors. I had never been to a city larger than Minneapolis before I arrived in London, and it seemed to be quite obvious. I felt overwhelmed by people and all the new experiences. I had never traveled by any sort of subway system or public transportation, and it took a while to get used to. However, after a few days I had adjusted well. I knew how to travel on the tube and I was able to relax around the large crowds. I developed skills in communication and navigation that I would never have the chance to experience in Iowa. These skills could help in the future depending on wherever my future job or travels may take me.