In 596, Pope Gregory the Great sent Augustine - prior of St Andrew's monastery in Rome - and about 40 monks to evangelize England. The group was well received by King Ethelbert of Kent, who later became a saint himself. Augustine was soon made bishop and instructed to develop a hierarchy for England and to substitute Christian feasts for pagan celebrations. Apart from the Welsh refusal to accept either Augustine or the Roman traditions he proposed, the mission was successful.

Augustine established a Benedictine monastery at Canterbury. The first Archbishop of Canterbury, the "Apostle of the English," Augustine continued to work for the faith in Britain until his death in 604.©2011 Living with Christ, Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/. Reprinted with permission.