St Gregory the Dialogist

Born to a senatorial family, Gregory served as Prefect of Rome before selling his estates, founding monasteries, and becoming a monk — then was drawn back into service as papal envoy to Constantinople and, in 590, elected Pope of a city ravaged by plague and flood. Amid Lombard invasions he fed the poor of Rome from the church's granaries, negotiated peace when the emperor's officials could not, and sent Augustine and his monks to evangelize the English. The West calls him 'the Great'; the East calls him 'the Dialogist' after his Dialogues, tales of Italian saints including our chief source on Benedict of Nursia. His Pastoral Rule became the mirror of bishops East and West; the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, served in Great Lent, is attributed to him by long tradition, though the attribution is devotional rather than historical. He signed himself 'servant of the servants of God' — and lived it.

St Gregory the Dialogist is also one of the Church Fathers — read their biography, works, and verse-by-verse commentary.