St. Gregory the Great
St. Gregory 1 The Great
Pope Saint Gregory I, known as St. Gregory the Great, was one of the most fascinating of early Church leaders. Gregory is well known for his writings, which are more prolific than those of any of his predecessors as pope. He was drawn to the religious life and spent long hours meditating on the Scriptures. The son of a Roman Senator, Saint Gregory was born in Rome around 540 AD and following his dad's footsteps embarked upon a political career. He rose through the ranks of civil service and eventually at the age 33 he became Prefect, a mayor, of Rome. At that point, Gregory discerned a call to deeper life with God so promptly gave away his wealth to the poor and entered into the monastery of St. Andrew where he ultimately became abbot, a man who is the head of a monastery. The Pope, recognizing his talent, named himself as one of the seven deacons of Rome and then sent him on a diplomatic mission as papal legate to the imperial city of Constantinople where he remained for the next five years. Upon the death of the pope in 590 AD, St. Gregory was elected to succeed him, the first monk ever elected as the Successor of Peter.
Gregory's father was Gordianus, a wealthy patrician, probably of the famous gens Amicia, who owned large estates in Sicily and a mansion on the Caelian Hill in Rome, and the ruins of which still await removal from beneath the Church of St. Andrew and St. Gregory. His mother Silvia appears also to have been important and is honored as a saint but very little is known of her life. Portraits of Gordianus and Silvia were painted by Gregory's order, in the chamber of St. Andrew's monastery. Gregory of Tours stated that Gregory received the best education offered at the time and was extremely skillful in grammar, rhetoric and dialectic and it seems certain also that he must have gone through a course of legal studies. Gregory loved to meditate on the Scriptures and to listen attentively to the conversations of his elders,
Pope Saint Gregory I, known as St. Gregory the Great, was one of the most fascinating of early Church leaders. Gregory is well known for his writings, which are more prolific than those of any of his predecessors as pope. He was drawn to the religious life and spent long hours meditating on the Scriptures. The son of a Roman Senator, Saint Gregory was born in Rome around 540 AD and following his dad's footsteps embarked upon a political career. He rose through the ranks of civil service and eventually at the age 33 he became Prefect, a mayor, of Rome. At that point, Gregory discerned a call to deeper life with God so promptly gave away his wealth to the poor and entered into the monastery of St. Andrew where he ultimately became abbot, a man who is the head of a monastery. The Pope, recognizing his talent, named himself as one of the seven deacons of Rome and then sent him on a diplomatic mission as papal legate to the imperial city of Constantinople where he remained for the next five years. Upon the death of the pope in 590 AD, St. Gregory was elected to succeed him, the first monk ever elected as the Successor of Peter.
Gregory's father was Gordianus, a wealthy patrician, probably of the famous gens Amicia, who owned large estates in Sicily and a mansion on the Caelian Hill in Rome, and the ruins of which still await removal from beneath the Church of St. Andrew and St. Gregory. His mother Silvia appears also to have been important and is honored as a saint but very little is known of her life. Portraits of Gordianus and Silvia were painted by Gregory's order, in the chamber of St. Andrew's monastery. Gregory of Tours stated that Gregory received the best education offered at the time and was extremely skillful in grammar, rhetoric and dialectic and it seems certain also that he must have gone through a course of legal studies. Gregory loved to meditate on the Scriptures and to listen attentively to the conversations of his elders,