It’s the Feast of Feria after Epiphany, 4th Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: “The Adoration of the Magi”, today’s news from the Church: “A Year of Transition for the College of Cardinals”, a preview of this week’s episode of The Catholic Mass #33: “St. John Chrysostom on Marriage: As Christ Loved the Church”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop.
Saint Adrian of Canterbury was one of the great hidden architects of Christian England, a scholar whose influence shaped generations without ever placing him at the center of attention. Born in North Africa in the early seventh century, Adrian was deeply formed by the classical and Christian learning of the Mediterranean world. He became abbot of a monastery near Naples, where his reputation for wisdom, discipline, and learning grew quietly. He was fluent in Greek and Latin, well versed in Scripture, theology, and the liberal arts, and known for his balanced judgment.
When Pope Vitalian sought to appoint a new Archbishop of Canterbury in 668, Adrian was his first choice. Adrian declined, believing another was better suited for the role, and instead recommended Theodore of Tarsus. Yet the pope insisted that Adrian accompany Theodore to England as his close collaborator. That decision proved decisive for the future of the English Church. When they arrived in Canterbury, Adrian became abbot of the monastery of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, later known as Saint Augustine’s Abbey, and turned it into one of the greatest centers of learning in Western Europe.
Adrian’s real gift was teaching. Bede tells us that students came from across England to study under him, learning Scripture, poetry, astronomy, computation of the calendar, and the interpretation of sacred texts. Under Adrian’s guidance, the English Church absorbed not only Roman discipline, but the richness of Greek Christian thought. Many of his students went on to become bishops, abbots, and missionaries who carried that learning throughout the British Isles. Adrian himself never sought higher office. He governed his monastery with steadiness, preferring the role of mentor to that of public authority.
He lived in Canterbury for nearly forty years, outliving Archbishop Theodore and providing continuity during decades of growth and reform. Those who knew him remembered a man of joy, intellectual rigor, and deep prayer, whose holiness was expressed through patience and generosity rather than ascetic severity. He died around the year 710, leaving behind a Church more educated, more unified, and more confident in its identity.
Devotion to Saint Adrian remained closely tied to Canterbury and to monastic schools. His feast on January 9 was observed with prayers for teachers, students, and those who serve the Church through learning. He became a quiet patron of educators and scholars, especially those whose work forms others behind the scenes rather than in public view.
Saint Adrian of Canterbury, faithful teacher and servant of wisdom, pray for us!
Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls.
Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it.
