‹ The Bishops
Early Medieval · Saint
St Augustine of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
MissionaryConfessor
unknown – c. 604
unknown
Ordained
597
Consecrated Bishop
Canterbury
Diocese
England
Country
The Life
A prior of the monastery of St Andrew in Rome, Augustine was chosen by Pope Gregory the Great to lead a mission to convert the Anglo-Saxons of England. He landed in Kent in 597 and was welcomed by King Aethelberht, whose conversion opened the kingdom to the Gospel.
Consecrated bishop, Augustine established his see at Canterbury and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He is honored as the Apostle of the English; he died c. 604.
Notable Actions
- Sent by Pope Gregory the Great in 596-597 to lead the Gregorian mission
- Landed on the Isle of Thanet in 597 and converted King Aethelberht of Kent
- Became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, founding the see that remains the seat of English Christianity
- Founded the monastery of SS Peter and Paul (later St Augustine's Abbey)
- Corresponded with Pope Gregory on the organization and liturgy of the English Church
Portrait: Scriptorium de l'abbaye de Wearmouth-Jarrow / Wikimedia Commons