Mellitus
Saint Mellitus (d. April 24 624) was sent to England in 601 AD by Pope Gregory I in reponse to an appeal from St. Augustine of Canterbury for a fresh band of missionaries. He was commissioned by Gregory to convey the pallium to Augustine, together with a present of books and all things which were needed for worship and the ministry of the Church.When London once more became the seat of a bishopric, Mellitus was chosen by Augustine to be Bishop of London and the St. Paul's Cathedral was founded. He was driven from London by the heathen sons of King Sebert of Essex, in consequence of his refusal to give them the sacramental bread unless they consented to be baptised. He fled to Gaul but was recalled by St. Laurence of Canterbury, upon whose death, in 619, he succeeded as Archbishop of Canterbury.
Bede describes him as being of noble birth (Hist. Eccl., II, vii) and Pope Gregory describes him as an abbot (Letters, xi, 54, 59). He may have been abbot of the monastery of St. Andrew on the Celian Hill, founded by Gregory, to which both Gregory belonged before he became pope and Augustine belonged before he was sent to Kent.
| Preceded by: Laurence of Canterbury |
Archbishop of Canterbury | Followed by: Justus |