biography
| name: |
Augustine, St
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also known as Augustine of Canterbury
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pronunciation:
[awguhstin]
| biography:
| Clergyman, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, born probably in Rome. He was prior of the Benedictine monastery of St Andrew in Rome, when in 596 he was sent, with 40 other monks, by Pope Gregory I to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. Landing in Thanet (597), the missionaries were kindly received by Æthelbert, King of Kent, whose wife was already a Christian. A residence was assigned to them at Canterbury, where they devoted themselves to monastic exercises and preaching. The conversion and baptism of the king contributed greatly to the success of their efforts. In 597 Augustine went to Arles, and there was consecrated Bishop of the English. He died at Canterbury, and in 612 his body was transferred to the abbey of Saints Peter and Paul, now the site of St Augustine's Missionary College (1848). Feast day 26/27 May. |
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