Letter 11058: Gregory to Mennas of Telona (Toulon), Serenus of Massilia (Marseilles), Lupus of Cabillonum (Châlons-sur-Saône), Aigulfus of Mettæ (Metz), Simplicius of Parisii (Paris), Melantius of Rotonius (Rouen), and Licinius , bishops of the Franks. A paribus. Though the care of the office you have undertaken reminds your Fraternity how you ought to assist...

Gregory to Mennas of Toulon, Serenus of Marseilles, Lupus of Chalon-sur-Saone, Aigulfus of Metz, Simplicius of Paris, Melantius of Rouen, and Licinius -- bishops in the Kingdom of the Franks. Though the responsibilities of your office should already remind your Fraternity to support with all your energy those who labor for God, and especially those who work for the salvation of souls -- it does no harm for a letter from me to sharpen your zeal further. As a blast of air makes a fire grow larger, so encouragement advances the purposes of a good heart. Here is the situation: through the cooperating grace of our Redeemer, such a great multitude of the nation of the Angli [the English] is being converted to the Christian faith that our most reverend brother and fellow bishop Augustine has told us the people with him are not enough to carry on the work in all the places it is needed. I have therefore sent him reinforcements -- a few monks, together with our most beloved sons Laurentius the priest and Mellitus the abbot. Show them the charity that becomes you. Help them wherever there is need. Ensure that through your support they suffer no delays in your territories. Let them rejoice in your hospitality, and let you, by giving them your aid, become partners in the great cause for which they have been sent.

Book XI, Letter 58 To Divers Bishops of Gaul. Gregory to Mennas of Telona (Toulon), Serenus of Massilia (Marseilles), Lupus of Cabillonum (Châlons-sur-Saône), Aigulfus of Mettæ (Metz), Simplicius of Parisii (Paris), Melantius of Rotonius (Rouen), and Licinius , bishops of the Franks. A paribus. Though the care of the office you have undertaken reminds your Fraternity how you ought to assist with all your endeavours religious men, and especially those who labour in behalf of souls, yet it is not beside the purpose that an address by letter from us should stimulate your assiduity, since, as a fire becomes larger from a blast of air, so the purposes of a good disposition are advanced by commendation. Inasmuch, then, as through the co-operating, grace of our Redeemer so great a multitude of the nation of the Angli is being converted to the grace of Christian faith that our most reverend common brother and fellow bishop Augustine asserts that those who are with him cannot suffice for carrying out this work in various places, we have made provision by sending to him a few monks with our most beloved common sons Laurentius the presbyter and Mellitus the abbot. And so let your Fraternity show them the charity that becomes you, and so make haste to aid them wherever there may be need, that through your assistance they may have no cause for delay in your parts, and that both they themselves may rejoice with you in being relieved by your consolation, and you, by affording them your succour, may be found partakers in the cause in furtherance of which they have been sent. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 13. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1898.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360211058.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.