Introducing Sophie Hacker, the designer of the new reliquary, beside the alcove where St Eanswythe’s remains were discovered Photo: Diocese of Canterbury
At 6pm on Tuesday 12 September 2023, St Eanswythe Day, St Mary and St Eanswythe Church in Folkestone will celebrate the life of this 7th century English saint and member of the Kentish royal family with a reliquary launch night.
At this special event, artist Sophie Hacker will unveil her design for the reliquary which will house the Saint’s remains. The church will also launch a crowdfunder to raise money for the building of the reliquary and the creation of a new pilgrimage centre to tell the story of Eanswythe and welcome visitors from all over the world, utilising existing spaces within the church.
With the support of the Diocese of Canterbury, the church held a competition to design her reliquary which would create a ‘home’ for the remains of England’s earliest verified saint and currently the only verified remains of the Kentish royal dynasty.
The chosen designer, Sophie Hacker, is a contemporary artist specialising in ecclesiastical commissions, and an advisor for A+C, the UK’s leading organisation in the field of visual art and religion. Recent church commissions include stained glass windows, silver, bronze and textiles. Her design for St Eanswythe’s reliquary took inspiration from an early Anglo-Saxon casket in the British Museum and draws upon the artistic traditions of 7th century Kent.
“It has been a privilege to design St Eanswythe’s reliquary, to depict her miracles in a style drawing on Anglo-Saxon culture, and to aim for simplicity to express the beauty of her holiness.”
said Sophie Hacker, the winning designer.
The church is planning to raise over £150,000 to ensure that St Eanswythe has a home befitting of a Kentish royal saint.
Please visit stmaryandsteanswythe.org to support their project and find out more about the story of Eanswythe.