Mellitus

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Our father among the saints Mellitus was the first historic Bishop of London and the third Archbishop of Canterbury. He was one of the members of the Gregorian mission sent to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons. His feast day is April 24.

Mellitus was the abbot of the St. Andrew's monastery on Coelian Hill in Rome when he was sent to England in 601 AD by St. Gregory the Dialogist. He was accompanied by other clergy to augment the missionaries already there. He initially spent three years in Kent before he was consecrated Bishop of London in 604. In 616, after the death of his patron and having refused communion to apostates, he was forced to leave London and take refuge in Gaul. He returned to England within the next year, but was never able to return to London as the inhabitants remained pagans. In 619, he was enthroned Archbishop of Canterbury. While archbishop he was alleged to have saved the cathedral and much of the town of Canterbury from a fire. After his death on April 24, 624, he was revered as a saint.

Succession box:
Mellitus
Preceded by:
St. Laurence
Archbishop of Canterbury
619-624
Succeeded by:
Justus
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