The New International Encyclopædia/Augustine, Saint (archbishop of Canterbury)

AU′GUSTINE—often called Austin—Saint (?-604) . First archbishop of Canterbury. He was originally a monk in the convent of Saint Andrew at Rome, and became its prior. In 596 he was sent, along with other monks, by Pope Gregory I., to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, and establish the authority of the Roman see in Britain. They got as far as Aix in Provence, and there, terrified by the reports they heard about the wildness of the Britons, desired to turn back, and dispatched Augustine to Rome for permission to do so; but Gregory sent him with a firm but kindly letter to rejoin his company, and ordered them to continue on their journey. At the same time he wrote to the Frankish clergy and rulers to share in the enterprise. So, in the spring of 597. Augustine and about forty companions, including Franks, landed on the Island of Thanet, in the extreme southeast of England, but at which point is uncertain. The missionaries were kindly received by Ethelbert, King of Kent, whose wife, Bertha, daughter of Charibert, King of Paris, was a Christian, and had Liudhard, Bishop of Senlis, in her suite as chaplain. A residence was assigned to them at Canterbury, then called Durovernum, where they devoted themselves to monastic exercises and preaching. The conversion and baptism (Whitsunday, June 2, 597) of the King contributed greatly to the success of their efforts among his subjects. There is abundant testimony to the fact that a marked improvement in the life and manners of the Anglo-Saxons followed the evangelistic labors of Augustine and his companions.

In 597 he went to Aries, by direction of the Pope, and was there consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury and Metropolitan of England. On his return, he dispatched a presbyter and a monk to Rome to inform the Pope of his success, and obtain instruction on certain questions. Gregory's directions with regard to the propagation of the faith are admirable. Thus, instead of destroying the heathen temples, Augustine was recommended to convert them into Christian churches, by washing the walls with holy water, erecting altars, and substituting holy relics and symbols for the images of the heathen gods. Augustine's subsequent elloits to establish his authority over the native British Cliurcli were not su sueeessful as liis missionary hibors, owing apparently to his lack of tact. He died in Canterbury, ilaj- 2(j, G04. His liody was re- moved to the Cathedral of Canterbury in 1091. Bede's lli^toria Ecclcxiaxlicu (lenlis Aiir/lortim is the great authority for the life of ISaint Augus- tine. Consult all the documents, in Latin and English, in A. .J. Mason, The Mis-lion of Saint Augustine to England ((Cambridge, 1807). The celebration of the loOOth anniversary of .Augus- tine's landing brought out in Loudon in 1897 several volumes upon him — e.g. by JO. W. Ben- son, Father Brou, S..J., G. F. Browne, W. E. Collins. Consult also, J. A. Cooke, Early Churches in Great Britain Prior to the Coming of Augustine (London, 1807).

The site and remains of Saint Augustine's monastery were purchased in 1844 by ilr. Beres- ford Hope, by whom they were presented to the -Vrchbishop of Canterbury in trust, for the erec- tion of Saint Augustine's Missionary College, at Canterbury, in connection with the Church of England. This institution was incorporated by royal charter in 1848.