Augustine of Canterbury
Died c. 604
Saint Augustine of Canterbury led the Gregorian mission to Kent in 597. Explore his May 27 feast, royal support, and the English church’s beginnings.
The Mission Sent by Gregory
Augustine was a monk at Rome before Gregory the Great sent him with companions to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Kent. The mission arrived in 597. It entered a landscape where British Christians already existed, so its importance should not be described as the first arrival of Christianity in Britain. Its distinctive contribution was the formation of a church centered on Canterbury.1
Kent, Royal Support, and Canterbury
King Æthelberht’s reception of the mission and the Christian background of Queen Bertha helped shape the conditions under which Augustine worked. Royal support mattered for land, worship, and public access. Augustine’s episcopal role made Canterbury a lasting center, while correspondence with Gregory reveals practical questions about organizing a church within a society undergoing religious change.1
Relations with Other British Christians
Attempts to reach agreement with existing British bishops became part of the mission’s complicated legacy. Accounts written later interpret these encounters through questions of authority, Easter observance, and collective identity. Bede’s history is indispensable but also has its own perspective. Neither Roman mission nor British Christianity should be reduced to a simple story of one completely replacing the other.1
May 27 and a Distinct Augustine
The Roman calendar honors Augustine of Canterbury on May 27. He is a different person from Augustine of Hippo, the North African author of the Confessions. His death is generally placed around 604, with some chronological uncertainty. His enduring legacy is institutional and missionary: Canterbury became one of the major reference points for English Christian history.12
Sources and further reading
- Reference workSt. Augustine of CanterburyThe Catholic Encyclopedia, Robert Appleton Company; New Advent transcriptionSupports the mission from Rome, Canterbury, royal encounters, Gregory’s guidance, and uncertainty about the death year.Published: 1907. Accessed .
- Institutional resourceSaint of the Day: May 27Vatican NewsSupports the Roman May 27 commemoration of Augustine of Canterbury.Accessed .
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- Tradition
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- Unknown
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Known For
- Gregorian Mission
- First Archbishop of Canterbury
- Christianity in Kent
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