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Hierarch7th century

Saint Justus of Rochester

d. c. 627

Also known as Justus · Justus of Canterbury

A member of the Gregorian mission, first Bishop of Rochester and later the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury.

November 10New Calendar
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November 23Old Calendar
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Commemorated as

Our Father among the Saints Justus, Bishop of Rochester and Archbishop of Canterbury

Life

Saint Justus was a member of the Gregorian mission sent from Rome to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons, and he became the first Bishop of Rochester and later the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury.

He probably arrived in England with the second group of missionaries dispatched in 601 at the request of Augustine of Canterbury, though some accounts place him with the original party of 597.

After surviving a pagan backlash that briefly drove him into exile in Gaul, he was restored to his see and eventually elevated to the archbishopric, from which he oversaw the further spread of the faith into Northumbria. He reposed on November 10, most likely between 627 and 631.

Timeline7 momentsReadHide
  1. 601Arrival in EnglandJustus probably came to England with the second group of missionaries sent to reinforce the Gregorian mission at the request of Augustine of Canterbury, though some writers place him with the original 597 party.
  2. 604Consecrated Bishop of RochesterAugustine consecrated Justus as bishop over a province centered on Rochester. A charter dated April 28, 604, purporting to be from King Æthelberht, records a grant of land near Rochester to Justus's church; its authenticity is debated, though recent scholarship argues it preserves authentic details.
  3. 614Council of ParisJustus attended the Council of Paris in Gaul, an involvement historians variously attribute to chance or to diplomatic necessity.
  4. 616Flight to GaulFollowing the death of King Æthelberht of Kent, a pagan backlash against Christianity forced Justus and Mellitus to flee to Gaul, likely seeking refuge with the Frankish king Chlothar.
  5. 617Restored to RochesterBy 617 Justus had been reinstalled in his bishopric under the new king.
  6. 624Archbishop of CanterburyJustus became the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury, receiving his pallium from Pope Boniface V. He consecrated Paulinus as the first Bishop of York before Paulinus accompanied Æthelburg to Northumbria.
  7. c. 627ReposeAccording to Bede, Justus died on November 10, most likely between 627 and 631.

Contributions & Legacy

4 contributionsReadHide

The Gregorian Mission and Rochester

Justus was one of the missionaries sent from Rome to continue the work begun by Augustine of Canterbury among the Anglo-Saxons. He most probably arrived with the reinforcing party of 601, though some modern writers place him with the original mission of 597.

In 604 Augustine consecrated him bishop over a province including Rochester, making him its first bishop. A charter dated April 28, 604, attributed to King Æthelberht, records a grant of land near Rochester to his church; scholars continue to debate the document's authenticity, while some recent work argues it contains genuine early material.

Together with Mellitus, Justus signed a letter urging the Celtic bishops to adopt the Roman method of calculating the date of Easter, part of the mission's effort to bring the churches of Britain into common practice with Rome.

Exile and Restoration

When King Æthelberht died in 616, a resurgence of paganism threatened the young Christian community, and Justus, together with Mellitus, fled across the sea to Gaul, likely seeking the protection of the Frankish king Chlothar.

The exile proved brief: by 617 Justus had been reinstated in his bishopric under the new king of Kent.

Archbishop of Canterbury

In 624 Justus was raised to the archbishopric of Canterbury, becoming the fourth to hold the see. Pope Boniface V sent him the pallium confirming his office.

As archbishop he consecrated Paulinus as the first Bishop of York, who then accompanied the Kentish princess Æthelburg north to Northumbria, extending the mission's reach into that kingdom.

Relics & Shrines

Justus reposed on November 10, according to Bede most likely between 627 and 631. In the 1090s his remains were translated to a shrine placed beside the high altar of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury.

He was canonized in the period before the formal papal canonization process, and his feast is kept on November 10 across several Christian traditions. In the Orthodox Church he is honored among the Pre-Schism Western Saints and the Saints of the British Isles.

Member ofReadHide
Synaxis of the Saints of Britain and Ireland
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Notes

Reposed c. 627.

Sources: OrthodoxWiki; Wikipedia (Justus)