St. Adrian of Canterbury, Abbot: d. ca. 710 A.D.
St. Adrian was born in Africa. He was a very learned and saintly Latin and Greek scholar. Being gifted with excellent learning abilities, he became well-versed in the Holy Scriptures and in the studies on the Fathers of the Church.
During his early years in religious life, he became the abbot of the monastery of Nerida, near Naples in present-day Italy. Because of this remarkable saint's intellectual talents, Pope St. Vitalian believed in him. He was then officially appointed as archbishop of Canterbury, but he declined the appointment. But, he was requested to accompany St. Theodore to England. It was St. Theodore who accepted the appointment to the position of archbishop of Canterbury. On his part, St. Theodore then duly appointed Adrian as abbot of Sts. Peter and Paul monastery in Canterbury.
St. Adrian's talents and commitment to the Church were needed at a time when the English people needed much instruction in the Catholic faith. Thus, Adrian applied all his learning, especially his knowledge of the Bible in this missionary endeavour. Due to his exceptional abilities and knowledge, Adrian was sought out by many, who later on became his followers. St. Adrian taught all his followers many subjects, including Greek, Latin, poetry, astronomy, and calendar calculation. During all his thirty-nine years as abbot of Sts. Peter and Paul monastery, the monastery became renowned as a center of learning in the West. Adrian's monastic school attracted many students from all Europe. His learning had a great and far-reaching influence.
St. Adrian died on January 9, 710 A.D. in Canterbury. His tomb became famous for the miracles that occured there. Tradition reports that upon the exhumation of his tomb, his body was incorrupt. The Church now celebrates his feast every January 9.
Sources of this blog post:
- Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
- A Year with the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.
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