Saint Gregory the Great, Pope, Confessor & Doctor
S. Gregorii I Papae Confessoris et Ecclesiae Doctoris
Saint Gregory the Great (c. 540–604) was Pope, a Father and Doctor of the Church, and one of the most influential shepherds in her history, renowned for his pastoral care, his writings, and his devotion to the sacred liturgy. His feast is kept on 12 March, the day of his death.
Saint Gregory was born in Rome about the year 540, of a distinguished and devout family. He served for a time as prefect of the city, but, drawn to a life given wholly to God, he gave away his wealth, founded monasteries, and became a monk in his own home on the Caelian Hill, which he dedicated as a monastery under the patronage of Saint Andrew. He was later called from the cloister to serve the Church, and after acting as the Pope’s representative at Constantinople, he was chosen Bishop of Rome in 590, a burden he accepted with humility, calling himself the “servant of the servants of God,” a title the Popes bear to this day.
Shepherd, Doctor, and Servant of God
As Pope, Saint Gregory governed the Church through a time of great hardship, when Italy was beset by war, famine, and plague. He cared tirelessly for the poor of Rome, defended the city, strengthened the discipline of the clergy, and laboured for the unity and good order of the Church. He is especially remembered for sending Saint Augustine of Canterbury with a band of monks to bring the Gospel to the English people, a mission for which the English have ever held him in grateful honour as their apostle.
His writings, among them the Pastoral Rule, his Dialogues, his Moralia on the Book of Job, and many homilies and letters, were treasured throughout the Middle Ages and earned him a place among the four great Latin Doctors of the Church. He had a deep love for the worship of God and did much to order the chant and liturgy of the Roman Church; the tradition of plainchant has long been called “Gregorian” in his honour. He died on 12 March 604 and is venerated as one of the greatest of the Popes.
The Collect
O God, who didst bestow the rewards of eternal blessedness on the soul of Thy servant Gregory: mercifully grant that we, who are weighed down by the burden of our sins, may by his prayers be relieved. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Deus, qui animae famuli tui Gregorii aeternae beatitudinis praemia contulisti: concede propitius; ut, qui peccatorum nostrorum pondere premimur, eius apud te precibus sublevemur. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Patronage
Saint Gregory the Great is honoured as a patron of musicians, singers, and choirs, of teachers and students, and is invoked as the apostle of England and a great patron of the sacred liturgy and Gregorian chant.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar, this feast is observed as a memorial on 3 September.
Common Questions
Why is Saint Gregory called “the Great”?
The title reflects the lasting influence of his pontificate, his pastoral care during a time of crisis, his many writings, his missionary zeal, and his service to the Church’s worship. He is one of only a few Popes given this honour.
When is his feast day?
In the traditional calendar of the 1962 Missal his feast is kept on 12 March, the day of his death. In the modern calendar it is observed on 3 September.
What is his connection to Gregorian chant?
Saint Gregory had a great love for the worship of God and did much to foster and order the chant and liturgy of the Roman Church. The Church’s ancient tradition of plainchant has long borne his name in gratitude for that work.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
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