Augustine of Canterbury

Augustine of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk sent by Pope Gregory I to convert the Anglo-Saxons. He became the first archbishop of Canterbury and led the Gregorian mission to England.

Gregory the Great: Gregory I was pope from 590 to 604 and promoted missions to convert non-Christian peoples. He commissioned Augustine’s mission and supplied its authority.
Canterbury Cathedral: The cathedral church of the archbishop of Canterbury, founded as a Christian church in the late sixth century. Augustine established his episcopal seat at Canterbury.
Archbishop of Canterbury: The senior bishop of the Church of England and a leading figure in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Augustine’s appointment established the see whose later holders became primates of England.
Landing of Augustine in Kent: The arrival of Augustine and his companions in Kent around 597 to begin a papal mission. This landing marks the conventional beginning of the Gregorian mission in England.
Gregorian mission: The late sixth-century papal mission that sought to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. Augustine led this expedition from Rome to Kent.
Benedictine monasticism: A tradition of Christian communal life governed by the Rule of Saint Benedict. Augustine’s monastic formation shaped the community he brought from Rome.
Church of England: The established Christian church in England, formed in its present institutional identity during the English Reformation. Its early English roots include the church organization begun under Augustine.
Conversion of Æthelberht of Kent: The conversion of Kentish king Æthelberht to Christianity during Augustine’s mission. The king’s conversion gave the mission influence beyond its initial community.
Kingdom of Kent: An Anglo-Saxon kingdom in southeastern England, powerful during the late sixth and early seventh centuries. Its king’s support gave Augustine a foothold in England.
Early medieval bishop: A senior Christian cleric who supervised churches and clergy within a territorial diocese. Augustine organized a hierarchy of bishops as the mission expanded.

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