MEMORIAL: SEPTEMBER 3
St. Gregory the Great was born to a noble Roman family around 540 AD. Despite this turbulent time for Rome (famine and disease), Gregory rose to the position of Roman Prefect before the age of 30. After 5 years, Gregory resigned and became a monk, opening a monastery on his own estate. As a monk, he was the Pope’s ambassador to the Roman emperor. Whenever the Pope died, he was announced the new pope.
Pope Gregory is known for many things in his papacy. First, he focused on the evangelization of the Anglo-Saxons. He also was incredibly charitable to the poor, giving away a multitude of the papacy’s finances. He also mandated that the priests of Rome work in the streets with the poor. He made multiple reforms to the mass and is attributed to the introduction of Gregorian chant into the life of the Church.
After he died, he was proclaimed a saint and a great by popular exclamation. He is the patron saint of singers and teachers.
