Saint Justus has a notable place in England’s history. Born in Italy, Justus was sent by Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great) to assist St. Augustine in the Christianization of England. Justus went to the kingdom of Kent where the pagan Anglo-Saxons were ruled by King Æthelberht. Æthelberht had married the Christian daughter of the Frankish king and so was amenable to the Christian missionaries. In 604, Justus was appointed the first Bishop of Rochester. Following the death of Æthelberht Justus was forced to flee to Gaul (mainland Europe) due to rising pagan hostilities against the interloping missionaries. Able to return the following year, Justus went on to become the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury. Saint Justus played a large role in the conversion of Anglo-Saxons into Roman Christians. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing in retrospect, we’ll leave that opinion up to you.
