ST MELLITUS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, CONFESSOR

ST MELLITUS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, CONFESSOR - 24 APRIL

SAINT MELLITUS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, CONFESSOR

⬅️ Saintly Archbishops of Canterbury

Saint Mellitus was a Roman abbot, whom St Gregory sent over hither in 601, at the head of a second colony of missioners to assist St Augustine, by whom he was ordained the first bishop of London, or of the East-Saxons; baptised Sebert the King, with a great part of his nation. By his liberality, in 604, he laid the foundation of the cathedral church of St Paul’s, and, in 609, of the monastery of St Peter, at Thorney, which was rebuilt by King Edgar, and again most sumptuously by St Edward the Confessor, and is now called Westminster.

THE THREE PRINCES HAD KEPT THEIR HEATHENISM PRIVATE

This Christian and learned prince, dying about 616, left his dominions to his three sons, Sexred, Seward, and Sigebert, whom he had not been so happy as to recover from their idolatry, though they had kept their heathenism private during their father’s life. After his death they declared themselves Pagans, and gave their subjects the liberty of returning to their former idolatrous worship.

THEY BANISHED ST MELLITUS FOR NOT LETTING THEM PARTAKE IN THE HOLY COMMUNION WITHOUT HAVING BEEN BAPTISED

Yet when they saw our holy bishop at the altar, and giving the blessed Eucharist to the people, they would not be satisfied unless he would give them some of that fine white bread, as they called it, he was used to give their father. He told them their request should be granted, on condition they would be baptised as their father was; but this they would not hear of, alleging they had no need of baptism, but still insisted on receiving the consecrated bread; and on the bishop’s refusal to gratify them in their unreasonable request, they banished him their dominions.

THE THREE PRINCES WERE SLAIN IN BATTLE

These three princes, after a reign of six years, going on an expedition against the West-Saxons, were all three slain in battle. But though the chief promoters of Paganism were taken off, their people, being inured again to idolatry, did not return to the faith before the year 628, according to the Saxon annals.

THE THIRD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

St Mellitus passed over to France, but soon returned, and upon the death of St Laurence, in 619, was translated to the see of Canterbury, being the third archbishop of that see.

BY HIS PRAYERS, HE STOPPED A FURIOUS CONFLAGRATION

Whilst sick of the gout, he, by his prayers, stopped a furious conflagration which had already laid no small part of that city in ashes, and which no hands had been able to get under. He died April 24, 624.

(From Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints)

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