Saint Augustine of Canterbury

Name ______Date ______

Directions: Read the biography and answer the questions.

Saint Augustine of Canterbury was an early Christian monk and missionary to the Anglo- Saxon people in England. He was sent out from Rome by Pope Saint Gregory the Great along with forty other monks, but they turned back after hearing stories about the Anglo- Saxons and the difficulty in crossing the English Channel. Pope Gregory calmed their fears and sent them out again and this time they arrived in Kent where King Ethelbert ruled along with his Christian wife, Bertha. The king welcomed the monks and allowed them to build a church and monastery. Saint Augustine even baptized the king just a year after first setting out of the island. Soon Augustine was made the first Bishop of Canterbury and set about the difficult work of spreading the Gospel among the Anglo-Saxons and their enemies, the Britons. He was unable to make peace between the warring peoples and he had difficulty convincing the Britons to abandon their many Celtic customs. Nevertheless, he is rightfully called the Apostle of England because of the foundation he set for the massive growth of Christianity throughout England in the centuries that followed.

1. Why did Saint Augustine and his companions turn back to Rome after their first journey to England? ______

2. Have you ever failed at something you thought was really important? What was it and how did you deal with the failure? ______

3. Write a prayer asking for Saint Augustine of Canterbury’s to pray that you will find success in an important goal you have right now. ______