Portal:Catholicism/Patron Archive/January 9

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Saint Adrian (or Hadrian) of Canterbury (died 710) was a famous scholar and the Abbot of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury in the English county of Kent.

According to Bede, he was a Berber native of Greek-speaking North Africa, and abbot of a monastery near Naples, called Monasterium Niridanum (perhaps a mistake for Nisidanum, as being situated on the island of Nisida). He was offered the vacant archbishopric of Canterbury, by Pope Vitalian (twice), but modestly declined the appointment. He first recommended that it should be given to Andrew, a monk belonging to a neighbouring nunnery, who also declined on the plea of advanced years. Then, when the offer was again made to Adrian, he introduced to the pontiff his friend Theodore of Tarsus, who then chanced to be at Rome, and who consented to undertake the charge. Vitalian, however, stipulated that Adrian should accompany the new archbishop to Britain. He gave as his reasons that Adrian, having twice before made a journey into Gaul, knew the road and the mode of travelling, and to ensure that Adrian's presence might prevent Theodore, who was of the Greek communion, from introducing anything contrary to the orthodox faith into the church over which he was to preside.

The two set out from Rome on May 27, 668. There voyage was slowed down by Ebroin, who ruled parts of Gaul as Mayor of the Palace, for the minor king Clotaire III. Immediately on his arrival, he was made abbot of the monastery of St. Peter (afterwards called St. Augustine's Abbey) at Canterbury, an appointment which was in conformity with instructions given by the pope to Theodore. Adrian was known to be a man learned in the Bible, as well as Greek and Latin, and an excellent administrator. Under his direction the abbey came to have substantial, far-reaching influence.

Bede describes Adrian as not only a distinguished theologian, but eminently accomplished in secular learning; he and Theodore, we are told, traversing all parts of the island, gathered multitudes of scholars around them wherever they appeared, and employed themselves daily with equal diligence and success in instructing those who flocked to them not only in the truths of religion but in the several branches of science and literature then cultivated.

Adrian is said to have lived for thirty-nine years after he came to England, continuing till his death to preside over the monastery at Canterbury.
Attributes: as a bishop
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