Adrian of Canterbury

Adrian (also called Hadrian) was born in North Africa sometime prior to 637; Bede referred to him as a Berber. He became a well-known teacher and a Benedictine monk. He knew Byzantine Emperor Constans II, who introduced Adrian to Pope Vitalian, who made Adrian his advisor.

While Adrian was abbot of a monastery near Naples, Pope Vitalian twice offered him to go to England and become Archbishop of Canterbury. In each case he declined, suggesting others: first a nearby monk named Andrew, who also declined, then Theodore of Tarsus, who accepted the role. Adrian had been through Gaul before, and Vitalian that Adrian would accompany Theodore to England.

The journey took them awhile. They left Rome on 27 May 668 and went by ship to Marseille, then to meet with Archbishop John of Arles while applying for passports of safe conduct through Gaul. These had to come from Ebroin, the Mayor of the Palace under Clotaire III. By the time they got to the north of France it was winter, and since travel would be more difficult, they waited until spring. Adrian went to stay with Bishop Emmon of Sens, then Bishop Faro of Meaux. (Theodore stayed with Bishop Agilbert of Paris.)

When King Ecgberht of Kent sent a message to Theodore in the spring of 669 to hurry up, he went to England, arriving in May. Adrian was detained on the orders of Ebroin, who suspected that Adrian might be an emissary of the Byzantine emperor, Constans II, intending to disrupt the Franks.

Adrian eventually made it to England and became abbot of Saint Peter's and Saint Paul's in Canterbury, administering the place for 39 years. Adrian and Theodore together made Canterbury a center for learning, teaching Greek as well as Latin and several subjects that were later part of the Trivium and Quadrivium of medieval universities. Writing later, Bede praised the two for their love of teaching and the spread of learning.

After Adrian died in 709, miracles were reported at his tomb.

Why did Ebroin suspect Adrian of being an agent of Emperor Constans? What could the Byzantine emperor do that would threaten Gaul? Let's look at that tomorrow.

Archbishop Theodore

Theodore of Tarsus likely never thought that a Greek who in his youth had to flee Persian and Muslim invasions would one day wind up Archbishop of Canterbury, but here he was, on his way to England after being consecrated by Pope Vitalian on the recommendation of a friend, Adrian of Canterbury.

The position had been vacant for at least four years after the death of Deusdedit and the unexpected death of his appointed successor, Wighard. There was much work to be done upon his arrival on 27 May 669. Many sees had been vacant for years, with no archbishop to appoint new bishops. The Synod of Whitby in 664 had decided to choose certain Roman Christian practices (like the calculation of the date of Easter) over Celtic Christian practices, but these had not been widely adopted.

His first step was to fill the vacant sees with new bishops. Once these positions were filled, he called the Synod of Hertford in 673. This was intended to promote reforms concerning the date of Easter, episcopal authority, prohibitions on consanguinity in marriage, the role of itinerant monks, and others. He also declared that there should be an annual synod, although there are no records that they rook place until many years later.

He also dealt with the enormous diocese of Northumbria, breaking it up into smaller territories that each needed their own bishop. This of course raised the ire of Wilfrid, whom Theodore ultimately saw fit to depose and expel in 678.

Theodore and Adrian also established a school at Canterbury that taught Greek as well as Latin. Some of their teachings can be found in the Leiden Glossary. According to Bede,

They attracted a large number of students, into whose minds they poured the waters of wholesome knowledge day by day. In addition to instructing them in the Holy Scriptures, they also taught their pupils poetry, astronomy, and the calculation of the church calendar ... Never had there been such happy times as these since the English settled Britain.

A golden age of Anglo-Saxon scholarship came out of this school, as did Benedictine abbots to spread their knowledge around the island.

Theodore held the position of archbishop for 22 years, dying in 690 at the age of 88. He was buried at St. Peter's Church, now called St. Augustine's Abbey. He is venerated as a saint with a feast day on 19 September.

But what of Adrian of Canterbury, the abbot who refused the archbishopric twice and suggested to the pope that it go to another? Let's learn more about him tomorrow.

Wighard, the Almost Archbishop

When Deusdedit was Archbishop of Canterbury (from 655 to 664), he had in his household a Saxon priest named Wighard. The date of Deusdedit's death is recorded by Bede; twice in fact. Unfortunately, in each of those instances the description of when he died differs significantly. Whatever the case, however, there is no confusion that Wighard was elected as his successor, and sent to Rome to be consecrated and accept the pallium from Pope Vitalian. Sending him to Rome instead of requesting the pallium to be delivered would be a stronger symbol of papal approval.

There may be no confusion about Wighard being the successor, but exactly how he was chosen is, again, up for debate because Bede tells two different stories. Bede's Historia Abbatum (a history of the abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow) stated that he was chosen by King Ecgberht of Kent. Fifteen years later, Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum ("Ecclesiastical History of the English People") stated that he was chosen by Ecgberht and King Oswiu of Northumbria and Bernicia with the consent of all the clergy.

Some historians prefer the second story, because they think Oswiu would have involved himself in the choice in order to avoid the chance of the headstrong and influential Wilfrid being selected. Bede mentions a letter from Pope Vitalian to Oswiu, indicating that a messenger from Oswiu accompanied Wighard. The letter also apologizes to Oswiu that Vitalian had not yet found a replacement for Wighard.

A replacement for Wighard? As it turns out, Wighard died in Rome some time between 664 and 667. Plague was a possible cause, bubonic or otherwise. It is assumed that Wighard never actually got consecrated, and so was not officially an Archbishop of Canterbury, although he often gets mentioned in lists of that position.

Wighard is sufficiently obscure so far as artists go that there is no representation of him to post here as an illustration. I have instead chosen to share a screen shot of a novel written about his death. The author creates a mystery about his death and sets his heroine, a Celtic nun, to solve the murder. Since we know so little about him and his death, the event is ripe for creative elaboration.

So where did Vitalian find a candidate for the position? I told this story almost exactly 10 years ago! I'll quote you the relevant paragraph here:

Bede tells the story of Adrian of Canterbury in his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum ["Ecclesiastical history of the English people"]. Adrian was born in North Africa—we don't know when, but he died about 710—and was abbot of a monastery when Pope Vitalian ... offered him the position of Archbishop of Canterbury on the death of Archbishop Deusdedit in 664. Adrian turned down the offer, and suggested a nearby monk, who also declined. When the pope asked Adrian a second time, Adrian introduced to the pope another friend who happened to be in Rome, Theodore of Tarsus.

Which brings us back to Theodore of Tarsus. The Adrian mentioned here had been to England, and Vitalian asked him to go with Theodore to help show the way. They set out for England in 668, about four years after the death of the last Archbishop of Canterbury. Tomorrow we'll see what impact on the English Church Theodore had.

Theodore of Tarsus

This blog has covered many men and women from the past who, at a young age, decided to take on a religious lifestyle, whether in a monastery or as a hermit or a parish priest. Some of them came to greater prominence as leaders of orders or monasteries, usually in their home countries. Theodore of Tarsus probably experienced a more radical shift from his origin to his ultimate career than anyone.

He was born in 602CE in Tarsus, a town (now part of Turkey) on the Cydnus (now Berdan) River on the far eastern coast of the Mediterranean. He was of Greek descent, and grew up speaking Greek, the language most common in Tarsus. The Byzantine Empire at the time was frequently warring with the Persian Sassanid Empire, and Tarsus suffered for it. Persian forces captured Tarsus in 613-614; later evidence suggests that Theodore was familiar with Persian culture. He probably studied at Antioch, several days' journey south.

The Persian occupation at the eastern end of the Mediterranean was still amenable to Greeks, but in 637 Tarsus and the surrounding area were conquered by Muslims. Theodore went to Constantinople, where he studied astronomy, astrology, medicine, Roman civil law, Greek rhetoric and philosophy, and how to calculate the date of Easter.

At some point in his 50s, he took the long trip to Rome and stayed with a community of monks, during which time he added Latin language and literature to his repertoire. When the See of Canterbury fell unexpectedly vacant in 667, Theodore was chosen to become the new archbishop by his new friend, Pope Vitalian. Theodore was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury in Rome on 26 March 668, and arrived in on 27 May 669.

Before we get to his career in England, however, I want to talk briefly about his election and his predecessor. For Theodore, it was an example of being in the right place at the right time. See you tomorrow.

Saint Wilfrid, Part Two

Wilfrid's knowledge of Roman Christianity and his opposition to Celtic Christianity made him the ideal candidate to attend the Synod of Whitby in 664 to determine which form should take precedence in England, especially regarding the date on which Easter is celebrated each year.

His arguments won, and Ahlfrith, son of King Oswiu of Bernicia, appointed Wilfrid Bishop of Northumbria. Wilfrid felt that there were no validly consecrated bishops in England who could consecrate him, so he traveled to Gaul—where earlier he had spent several formative years—to be made bishop. He was consecrated by Bishop Agilbert of Paris, who had attended Whitby. (Agilbert did not speak the local language, and so Wilfrid was his interpreter.) While he was out of England, his patron Ahlfrith led a revolt against Oswiu. When Bishop Wilfrid returned to Northumbria, he found his appointment there had been canceled and another man put in his place, so he went to stay at the monastery at Ripon.

In 668, Theodore of Tarsus became Archbishop of Canterbury. Theodore re-appointed Wilfrid as bishop of Northumbria. Wilfrid spent the next nine years building churches and founding monasteries. Wilfrid also wanted to make changes to the liturgy nd establish some religious reforms, but so did Theodore of Tarsus, and the two did not always agree. When Wilfrid had a dispute with Ecgfrith, King of Northumbria (another son of Oswiu), the archbishop took the opportunity to step in, establish his reforms over Wilfrid's, and also break up the large diocese into smaller divisions that would be easier to administer with three new bishops. Ecgfrith expelled Wilfrid, who traveled to Rome to get the pope's support. Pope Agatho (577 – 10 January 681) determined that the division of the large diocese was acceptable, but Wilfrid should be allowed to name the new bishops. Ecgfrith ignored the pope's wishes and imprisoned Wilfrid when he returned to Northumbria, because Wilfrid convinced Ecgfrith's wife, Æthelthryth, that she should practice saintly celibacy.

Later, exiled from Northumbria, Wilfrid went to the Kingdom of Sussex where he converted them to Christianity. Theodore, pleased, made peace with Wilfrid and persuaded the new king of Northumbria, Aldfrith (also a son of Oswiu), to take Wilfrid back. This only lasted until 691, when Aldfrith found reason to expel Wilfrid again. Aldfrith, like his brother, did not support Bishop Wilfrid's pope-granted right to name bishops. Moreover, Aldfrith still embraced Celtic Christianity. Wilfrid was banished and went to Mercia.

He enjoyed a good relationship with King Æthelred of Mercia, who made him bishop of the Middle Angles. A papal-initiated council was held in South Yorkshire in 702 to determine Wilfrid's rights and authority. The assembled English prelates decided that Wilfrid should have all his titles and possessions (parishes) confiscated. Wilfrid appealed to the pope, and regained the northern monasteries of Ripon and Hexham (the Wilfrid Chapel at Hexham Abbey is shown above). He died in 709/710. Although he created controversy for many, including his fellow religious, he was revered as a saint.

It is past time to give Theodore of Tarsus some attention, the Greek who fled Persia as a child and wound up in the top position of the English Church. See you tomorrow.

Saint Wilfrid, Part One

Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum ("History of the Church of the English People") lists Wilfrid as one of the men who contributed to the development of the English Church. Bede's writing, and a biography written shortly after Wilfrid's death by a priest at Ripon called Stephen, tell us a lot about his life (although of course some may be more legend than fact).

Wilfrid (c.633/4 - 709/10) was a Northumbrian noble who chose the religious life as a teenager, leaving his home after a falling out with his stepmother. He found a patroness in Queen Eanflæd, wife of King Oswiu of Bernicia and Northumbria. She sent him to Lindisfarne to study. After a few years he went to Canterbury (where he met the missionary Benedict Biscop), then to Francia (kingdom of the Franks, during the time of Clovis II), and to Rome.

Benedict Biscop was with him on the trip to Rome (between 653 and 658). Some say this is the first pilgrimage to Rome made by English natives. The two men parted company when Wilfrid stayed in Lyon, where the archbishop Annemund wanted Wilfrid to marry his niece and become governor of a Frankish province (Wilfrid was not yet ordained). Wilfrid chose to resume his pilgrimage. In Rome he learned the Roman way to calculate the date of Easter. He met the pope, and then returned to Lyon, where he stayed for three years. When his acquaintance Annemund was murdered (slandered as a traitor because he did not attend a royal event), Wilfrid returned to England, arriving by 660.

While on the continent, he learned Frankish ecclesiastical practices. This created a preference in him when later he was made a bishop. He believed there were no appropriately consecrated bishops in England who could consecrate him, so he went to Gaul for the ceremony.

King Oswiu's son Aldfrith took an interest in Wilfrid, and gave Wilfrid a new monastery at Ripon founded by monks from Melrose Abbey. They followed Irish monastic customs, not Roman, and Wilfrid ejected their abbot for refusing to change. Another monk he expelled for refusing to change was Cuthbert. Wilfrid introduced and enforced the Rule of St. Benedict.

This insistence on Roman Christianity made him the ideal candidate to speak on its behalf at the Synod of Whitby. I'll go into that and the rest of his life tomorrow.

The "Oldest" Benedictines

If, of the members of the Benedictine Confederation, the Camaldolese Congregation was founded in 980, and the Vallombrosians in 1036, how can the English Congregation, founded in 1216, claim to be the oldest member of the Confederation?

Pope Honorius III took a special interest in the monastic orders. He approved the Dominicans in 1216, the Franciscans in 1223, and the Carmelites in 1226. It was his idea that the various abbeys and priories with Benedictine monastic communities in England be united. The first General Chapter of this united congregation was held in Oxford in 1218. The origins of Benedictines in England go back much further than the 13th century, however, thanks principally to three individuals.

Augustine of Canterbury's arrival in England at the tail end of the 6th century CE was the start of the first great wave of Christianizing on that island. He was created the first Archbishop of Canterbury and had an enormous impact on bringing Christianity to several kingdoms, along with founding monasteries.

Immediately following Augustine was Wilfrid (c.633 - 709/710), a Northumbrian noble who entered the religious life as a teenager and became the first abbot of a monastery in Ripon dedicated to St. Peter. He later became bishop of York (York did not become an archbishopric until 735 with Paulinus). Wilfrid was the spokesman for Roman Christianity (as opposed to Celtic Christianity) at the Synod of Whitby in 664. His arguments on how the date of Easter should be calculated each year won over the Celtic St. Cuthbert.

The third highly influential figure in the early origins of English Christianity and monasticism was Benedict Biscop (c. 628 – 690). He founded the monastery at Jarrow, where among other influences he was the teacher of Bede. Benedict's given name was "Biscop Baducing"; he was not just a noble, he even served under King Oswiu of Bernicia before traveling to Rome and returning to England with enthusiasm for supporting the Church. On a second trip to Rome, Benedict met Wilfrid. Returning from this second trip, he stopped at an island off the coast of Provence, where a monastery was using the Rule of St. Benedict. He spent two years there, taking vows, learning the Rule, and adopting the name "Benedict." After a third trip to Rome, Pope Vitalian asked him to go back to England with Theodore of Tarsus. After doing so, Theodore appointed Benedict abbot at Canterbury.

The English Congregation now has about 20 houses (Ealing in London is shown above), with a few hundred monks and nuns spread across them.

We have a lot of info about Wilfrid based on those who knew him, especially Bede and a monk who wrote a biography of Wilfrid shortly after his death. I'd like to share some of his life story over the next two days.

The Synods of Clovesho

A synod, from Greek σύνοδος (sinoðos, "assembly") is a council of Christian authorities, usually to decide issues of doctrine or administration. Synods are usually named after the location of the meeting. This blog has mentioned synods in Elvira, Mainz, Verona, and (of course) Whitby.

There were several Synods of Clovesho recorded in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. The location of Clovesho (meaning "Cliff's-Hoe") has never been satisfactorily identified, but it is generally assumed to be somewhere in the kingdom of Mercia, since the current king of Mercia usually presides.

The Venerable Bede writes that, at the Council of Hertford in 672, Archbishop Theodore of Tarsus declared that he was made Archbishop of Canterbury by the pope, and that there should be a regular synod held on 1 August every year "in the place which is called Clofeshoch." Although it is likely that this schedule was followed, we do not have a record of any of the synods until 716 under King Ethelbald of Mercia, in which the freedom of the churches in Great Britain was confirmed.

The synods resembled the Anglo-Saxon witenagemot, in that it was more than a collection of bishops and abbots, but also included the king and his chief advisors and other high-ranking men of the kingdom.

The next recorded synod took place in 742. It affirmed the decision of 716. King Ethelbald of Mercia presided; his recorded statement is as follows:

I, Ethelbald, king of the Mercians, for the health of my soul and the stability of my kingdom, and out of reverence to the venerable Archbishop Cuthbert, confirm it by the subscription of my own munificent hand, that the liberty, honor, authority, and security of the Church of Christ be contradicted by no man; but that she and all the lands belonging to her be free from all secular services, except military expedition, and the building of a bridge or castle. And we charge that this be irrefragably and immutably observed by all, as the aforesaid king Wihtred ordained for him and his.

I previously mentioned Queen Cynethryth's last recorded mention was at the Synod of Clovesho in 798. It was presided over by King Coenwulf of Mercia and Archbishop Æthelheard. After the death of King Offa, his widow was made abbess at Cookham Abbey. At the synod, Æthelheard produced documents showing that the abbey belonged to Canterbury, and it was not in Mercia's power to make decisions about it. Æthelheard then granted the monastery to Cynethryth, but she had to give up other lands that were in her possession in Kent, amounting to 160 households' worth of property. (The site of Cookham Abbey has only recently been discovered.)

The last recorded Synod of Clovesho was in 824.

The Venerable Bede has been mentioned many times throughout the history of this blog, but has never received his own entry. Time to rectify that.

Traveling to Canterbury

St. Adrian of Canterbury

Yesterday's post on the Leiden Glossary mentioned its two chief contributors, Adrian of Canterbury and Theodore of Tarsus. Also interesting is their journey to Canterbury—not just their appointment to their positions, but what it took to get to their new jobs—and what it tells us about the Middle Ages.

Bede tells the story of Adrian of Canterbury in his Historia ecclesiastic gentis Anglorum ["Ecclesiastical history of the English people"]. Adrian was born in North Africa—we don't know when, but he died about 710—and was abbot of a monastery when Pope Vitalian (who would send Benedict Biscop to England as well) offered him the position of Archbishop of Canterbury on the death of Archbishop Deusdedit in 664. Adrian turned down the offer, and suggested a nearby monk, who also declined. When the pope asked Adrian a second time, Adrian introduced to the pope another friend who happened to be in Rome, Theodore of Tarsus.

The pope accepted Theodore as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, but asked that Adrian accompany him to England; according to Bede, Adrian had traveled to England twice before, and knew the way. Keep in mind that this is a world without roadmaps, without highways, without public transportation or any regularly scheduled wagons or boats or anything of the kind.

On 27 May 668 (note: 4 years after the death of Deusdedit), Adrian and Theodore left Rome. They traveled by sea to Marseille on the southern coast of France (far preferable to crossing the Alps). In nearby Arles they stayed for a time with its archbishop, John, until they managed to get passports from King Clotaire III's Mayor of the Palace, Ebroin. These passports could be shown to any civil servants along the way to grant them safe passage through Clotaire's domain.

By the time they made their way to the north of France, winter had come, so they needed to stay somewhere. Theodore went to stay with the Bishop of Paris. Adrian stayed first with the Bishop of Sens, then the Bishop of Meaux.

In the spring of 669, King Ecgberht of Kent sent for Theodore, who reached England a whole year after he first set out. Adrian, however, was not so lucky. For some reason, Ebroin decided that Adrian might have been an agent of the Greek emperor.* The Greek emperor that he feared had died in September of 668, but news could travel as slowly as bishops crossing France, so Ebroin (and Clotaire) were probably fearing someone that had been dead for months. They finally allowed Adrian to leave France.

Arriving in England, Adrian was made abbot of the monastery of St. Peter, which was re-named St. Augustine's Abbey. He and Theodore taught and wrote commentaries that, along with the writing of others, were compiled into a collection of glosses in Latin and Anglo-Saxon. At least one copy made its way to the continent and the Abbey of St. Gall, where it was copied in 800. That copy eventually wound up in the Netherlands, where it became known as the Leiden Glossary.

*In 669 the emperor would have been Constantine IV, "The Bearded"; Ebroin probably feared the emperor's predecessor, his father Constans II.

The Leiden Glossary

You can get your own copy here

The Leiden University Library in the Netherlands, founded in 1575, was an important part of the Enlightenment (late 17th to early 18th century), due to its enormous collection of texts that include 2500 medieval manuscripts. One of their medieval manuscripts, the Leiden Glossary, preserves a document from 9th century England that might otherwise be lost to us.

A "glossary" is a collection of "glosses," or explanations of a word or term. The Leiden Glossary contains glosses and commentaries by two priests and scholars, Adrian of Canterbury and Theodore of Tarsus (mentioned here), who were both at St. Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury.

The 48 chapters are lists of sayings and phrases used by Adrian and Theodore in their teaching, as well as commentaries they made on other works: think of it as a teacher's handout to his students so they don't have to take notes. There are, for instance, 8 chapters by Theodore with glosses on the "Pastoral Care" of Pope Gregory I (Gregory has been mentioned here).

There are also glosses from different people. For instance, there are three glosses on the same subject of the Historia Ecclesiastica ["History of the Church"] of Eusebius. The three are of differing quality, as if the book records the attempts by three different scholars—maybe students— to explain the passages in Eusebius. One of them echoes a different commentary found elsewhere that is known to be by Aldhelm, so it may have been Aldhelm himself who contributed it to the Leiden.

The Leiden is a mixture of glosses in Latin and Anglo-Saxon, another indication that the original glossary must have come from England. The Leiden Glossary was made in the library at the Abbey of St. Gall, presumably from that original. One of the things that we learn collaterally from the Leiden Glossary—because of the manuscripts about which the glosses have been written—is that the library at St. Augustine's Abbey must have been extensive. Alas, it did not survive the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.

Oswiu of Bernicia

King Oswiu (also Oswy or Oswig), who was a friend of Benedict Biscop, ruled Bernicia, a small section of Northumberland between what is now Edinburgh and Newcastle upon Tyne.

According to Bede's writings, Oswiu would have been born about 612. Unfortunately for him, his father, King Æthelfrith of Bernicia, was killed in battle against the King of the East Angles, and Oswiu and his siblings and their supporters had to flee to exile. They were not able to return to power until 633. Oswiu became king when he succeeded his brother Oswald, who died in battle in 642.

In 655, a military victory temporarily made Oswiu ruler over much of Britain. This position didn't last very long, but Oswiu still remained significant in the larger affairs of Britain. He was especially interested in and supportive of the church. Oswiu had been crucial to the foundation of Melrose Abbey. He had allowed his daughter to become a nun. His interest in relics was supported by Pope Vitalian sending him iron filings from the chains that had been used to imprison St. Peter.

In 664, the Synod of Whitby was held to make choices about how Christianity would be practiced, and Oswiu was asked to choose. He chose the version of Christianity that was being practiced by Rome over the Celtic version. This also meant calculating the date of Easter differently.

This created some awkwardness; Oswiu's son had been raised following Irish-Northumbrian practices but switched to Roman practices at the urging of St. Wilfrid (who was mentioned in a footnote here for his influence on Whitby). Oswiu chose to side with his son and Rome, but not everyone found it so easy to switch. Bede reported for 665 "that Easter was kept twice in one year, so that when the King had ended Lent and was keeping Easter, the Queen and her attendants were still fasting and keeping Palm Sunday."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Theodore of Tarsus, traveled north to visit Oswiu in 669 and made such an impression that Oswiu was going to make a pilgrimage to Rome. He never made it, dying on 15 February 670. He was buried at Whitby, where his daughter the nun then resided.

Benedict Biscop

The cleric and writer called the Venerable Bede has cropped up many times here; his learning is known to us by his translation of parts of the Bible, his work on the Reckoning of Time, on sciences, and the respect held for him by others. Let's use him again as our lead in to another topic, with the question: "Where did he acquire his learning?" The answer is in the library at the monastery at Jarrow, built by Bede's tutor. [see the illustration]

Benedict was born into Northumbrian aristocracy about 628, and as an adult as a thegn loyal to King Oswy. About 653, Benedict agreed to travel to Rome with his friend, Wilfrid (later to be Saint Wilfrid the Elder). Although Wilfrid was detained at Lyon, Benedict continued to Rome. Already a Christian, the trip to Rome and visits to sites connected to the Apostles made Benedict more fervent than ever about his faith. So when King Oswy's son Ealfrith wanted to go to Rome some years later, Benedict happily accompanied him. This time, he did not return to England, but stopped at Lerins Abbey on what is now the French Riviera, where he undertook to learn the life of a monk.

After two years of this, he boarded a merchant ship that was heading to Rome. On his third trip there, in 668, he was given the job by Pope Vitalian to go to England and be an advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Theodore of Tarsus. Returning to England, Benedict introduced the construction of stone churches with glass church windows. He also became a proponent of Roman styles of Christian ritual, rather than the Celtic style that had developed in England and Ireland.

King Ecgfrith of Northumbria gave Benedict land for a monastery in 674; Benedict would found the Abbey of St. Peter in Monkwearmouth. He traveled to the continent to bring workers and glaziers to make a worthy monastery, and made a trip to Rome in 679 in order to bring back books. Other trips were made as well to provide books for the monastery. The monastery so pleased the king that Benedict was given more land for a second monastery in Jarrow, and this was to be called St. Paul.

These were the first ecclesiastical buildings in England to be made of stone, and together they held an impressive library of several hundred volumes—also unusual for a 7th century monastery. This is where Bede had access to the learning that allowed him to write his works. One of those works was the Lives of the Holy Abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow, in which he has this passage:

Not long after, Benedict himself was seized by a disease. [...] Benedict died of a palsy, which grew upon him for three whole years; so that when he was dead in all his lower extremities, his upper and vital members, spared to show his patience and virtue, were employed in the midst of his sufferings in giving thanks to the Author of his being, in praises to God, and exhortations to the brethren.

Benedict Biscop (pronounced "bishop") died on 12 January, 690.