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Icon of St. Laurence,
Archbishop of Canterbury (+ 619)
Feast: Feb. 3
The 2nd Archbishop of
Canterbury, St. Laurence was one of the original missionaries who left
Rome with St. Augustine in 595 and finally landed in Thanet in 597.
After St. Augustine had been consecrated he sent St. Laurence back to
Rome, to carry to the pope the news of the conversion of King Ethelbert
and his people, to announce his consecration, and to ask for direction
on certain questions. When St. Gregory had decided the questions asked,
St. Laurence returned to Britain bearing the replies, and he remained
with St. Augustine sharing his work. St. Augustine consecrated St.
Laurence as bishop, lest the infant Church should be left for a time
without a pastor. The only extant genuine document of St. Laurence' is
the letter he addressed to the Celtic bishops, exhorting them to peace
and unity with the Patriarchate (Rome). The death of King Ethelbert, in
616 was followed by a heathen reaction under his son Edbald, and under
the sons of Sibert who became kings of the East Saxons. Sts. Mellitus
and Justus, bishops of the newly-founded sees of London and Rochester,
took refuge with St. Laurence at Canterbury and urged him to fly to
Gaul with them. They departed, and he, discouraged by the undoing of
St. Augustine's work, was preparing to follow them, when St. Peter
appeared to him in a vision. St. Peter blamed him for thinking of
leaving his flock and inflicted stripes upon him. In the morning he
hastened to the king, exhibiting his wounded body and relating
hisvision. This led to the conversion of the king, to the recall of
Sts. Mellitus and Justus, and to their perseverance in their work of
evangelising Kent and the neighbouring provinces. These events occurred
in 617 or 618, and shortly afterwards St. Laurence reposed and was
buried near St. Augustine in the north porch of St. Peter's abbey
church (afterwards known as St. Augustine's).
Holy Father Laurence, pray to
God for us!
Icon: by the hand of Peter
Murphy.
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