Today, May 27, is the memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury.
Augustine was a monk and abbot of Saint Andrew’s abbey in Rome, Italy. He was sent by Pope St. Gregory the Great with 40 brother monks, including Saint Lawrence of Canterbury to evangelize the British Isles in 597. That same year, he became the first archbishop of Canterbury, England.
As he was going to the British Isles, Augustine was told scary stories about the Celts. The horrific tales were enough to frighten him that he had to return to Rome. However, Pope St. Gregory insisted on his assignment, and so Augustine reluctantly pushed through with the trip.
Once he reached England, he established and spread the faith. He converted many, including King Aethelberht who brought 10,000 of his people into the Catholic Church.
He was ordained as a bishop in Gaul (modern France) by the archbishop of Arles. He helped re-establish contact between the Celtic and Latin churches, though he could not establish his desired uniformity of liturgy and practices between them. Augustine worked with Saint Justus of Canterbury. He died in 604.