Saint of the Day

01 · Read · A life to discover

St. Anselm of Canterbury

Anselm entered the Benedictine abbey of Bec in Normandy in 1060, became its prior, and succeeded Herluin as abbot in 1078. Alongside teaching and caring for his community, he wrote the Monologion and Proslogion, exploring the relationship between faith and reason.

Born at Aosta, Anselm pursued learning and religious life before settling at Bec. His writings did not treat reason as a replacement for faith. They sought understanding within a life already shaped by prayer, Scripture, and the responsibilities of a monastic community.

The move to Canterbury brought him into conflicts about the relationship between royal power and ecclesiastical office. These disputes interrupted his residence in England but did not end his theological work. He died on April 21, 1109; his feast preserves that anniversary.

Consecrated archbishop of Canterbury in 1093, he faced disputes with the English crown over church authority. His theological work continued amid these conflicts, including Cur Deus Homo, on the Incarnation and redemption. His surviving letters and the biography by his contemporary Eadmer provide substantial evidence for his life. The Church remembers him as a Doctor of the Church.

This saint is included on this recurring date in the U.S. Roman Rite calendar published by the USCCB. This reading guide gives U.S. calendar saints priority; the Mass celebrated on a particular year’s date can differ because of Sundays, seasons or higher-ranking celebrations.