St. Lawrence of Canterbury

St. Lawrence of Canterbury (died February 2, 619, Canterbury, Kent, England; feast day February 3) was the second archbishop of Canterbury. He was a missionary who played a large part in establishing the Anglo-Saxon church.

In 597 Pope Gregory I the Great assigned Lawrence, who was then probably a Benedictine friar, to the first Anglo-Saxon mission aimed at converting England to Roman Catholicism. The mission was led by St. Augustine, later first archbishop of Canterbury. Lawrence reported to Rome on the mission’s progress and returned with more missionaries in 601. He succeeded Augustine as archbishop about 604.

Like Augustine, Lawrence endured persecution and hostilities by the Britons while fruitlessly trying to convince the Celtic Christians to adopt Roman practices. Anti-Christian attitudes increased upon the death (616) of King Aethelberht I of Kent and the succession of his son, Edbald.

Gregory’s plan was to have two archbishoprics (London and York); Lawrence attempted to establish his see at London but was ejected by antagonists and retired to Canterbury, where the provincial see remained. About 617 opposition encouraged by Edbald caused Lawrence to consider departing for France, but a dream of St. Peter reminded him of his mission. Before he died, he succeeded in converting Edbald.