According to one story of the time, Pope St. Gregory the Great noticed a number of English slaves at market and enquired as to their origins.  He was told they were Angles from a far off country, to which he is said to have replied "Not Angles but Angels".   The strange story is probably related to the fact that the Pope had indulged in a scheme to purchase a number of young English slaves with the intention of bringing them up in the Catholic faith.  He would then ordain them and send them home to England as missionaries.

Christianity was already present in England of course.  Even as early as 200 AD the faith had travelled along trade routes to this far flung corner of the Roman Empire.  In addition to this, Celtic missionaries continued to work within the country.  One of the most famous, St. Columba, died in Iona in the same year that Augustine arrived in England.

The issue was the state of the church in England.  Christian communities were isolated with little organisation or co-operation.  The Saxon invasions had changed the country considerably from the state left behind by the Romans.  There was also no communication and hence no leadership from Rome, which was naturally one of the Pope's concerns.  Augustine's task was to remedy the situation.

One of the problems was that England was split into numerous smaller kingdoms, each ruled by their own leader, and often at war with one another.  The barbarism and cruelty of the Saxon inhabitants was infamous.  Indeed, when the monks travelling with Augustine reached France and heard tales of their future hosts they were ready to turn back, convinced of the futility and danger of their plans.

Pope Gregory, however, had information which favoured his plans.  He knew that one of the main Saxon kings, Aethelberht, had managed to consolidate power in a considerable area of England.  He also knew that this same king had recently married the Frankish Christian princess, Berth, and that a condition of the marriage was that she be given freedom to practice her own faith.  Gregory saw an opportunity that was too good to miss.  He re-assured Augustine and gave him additional authority by consecrating him as Bishop.  Then he sent him on his way again.

Arriving in 597 AD, Augustine and his men were welcomed by the king.  He was a little suspicious of them and ordered their meeting be in public and in the open air as he feared any incantations or magic they might attempt against him.  On hearing Augustine's story, however, he was re-assured.  He reserved judgement for himself, but gave his permission for the monks to travel in his land and convert any who would voluntarily take up the faith.  Aethelberht himself converted shortly afterwards and this gave Augustine's campaign enormous impetus.
 

Augustine and his monks made Canterbury, the Royal Capital, their own base.  Although the Pope had requested a See in London, they decided Canterbury was more appropriate and added a second See in York in the north.  These were supplemented by various bishoprics around the country.  The mission among the Saxon pagans was a great success.

Stained Glass Windows in St. Austin's 
depicting Augustine as a monk (left) and bishop (right)

He was much less successful with the existing Celtic Christians.  They were led by bishops based in Wales and clung strongly to their old traditions, resenting the arrival of these newcomers who wanted to tell them what to do.  On eof the controversies was the date at which Easter was to be celebrated since Roman and Celtic dates for this feast differed.  Despite talks and discussions no compromise could be reached and the talks ended with no agreements between the Celtic and Roman church.  In reality the Celtic rites became isolated and largely died out.

Augustine died on 26th May 605AD, his feast is still celebrated on this date in England, although elsewhere in the world it is the 28th May. 

Augustine (or Austin) is the patron Saint of our own parish in Wakefield.  His memory is kept in various ways by the church.  On 26th May 1997 a special servicewas held to celebrate the 14th Centenary of St. Augustine's arrival in England.  There are a pair of stained glass windows (see above) in the Lady Chapel which depict the monk and bishop.  These were designed in honour of the late Monsignor Thompson.