Augustine of Canterbury
Sent by Pope Gregory the Great at the end of the 6th century, this Benedictine monk is considered the "Apostle to the English" for leading the mission to evangelize England.
- Early Middle Ages
- Italy
- Feast day May 27
- c. 550 – 604
- Apostle
- Bishop
- Monk
- Missionary
- Founder
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Saint Augustine of Canterbury, also known as Augustine the missionary, was a Benedictine monk sent by Pope Gregory I in 597 to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons in England. He landed in Kent and successfully converted King Æthelberht, thereby establishing Christianity in the kingdom. He established his episcopal see at Canterbury, where he founded the first cathedral and an abbey, and in 601 he received from the pope the pallium that made him the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He played a crucial role in reintroducing Roman Christianity to Britain after the Roman withdrawal and Anglo-Saxon invasion, laying the foundations for the Church of England. His missionary work was fundamental to the religious and cultural history of the island.
