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Who Was St. Gregory the Great?
St. Gregory the Great is considered one of the four great doctors of the church. He was born in Rome around 540 and served much of his early life in civil office. Around age 30 he retired from public duties, joined the Benedictine Order, and formed several monasteries on his own properties. He was ordained to the priesthood after several years and moved back into public life, this time through his work for God. Gregory served as the 64th Pope for 14 years, during which time he pushed for reforms and evangelization. He removed unworthy priests from parishes, forbade taking money for certain services and spent much of the papal treasury to ransom prisoners of the Lombards, care for persecuted Jews and aid the sick and dying. Pushing for the conversion of England, Gregory sent more than 40 monks from his monastery to evangelize there. These monks, who included St. Augustine of Canterbury, were successful in converting much of Anglo-Saxon England. Gregory, the patron saint of music, died on March 12, 604. Tradition says he coined the phrase that says the Pope is the “servant of the servants of God.”
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