Life Timelines Gregory the Great

Timeline of Venerable Solanus Casey

Saint Gregory the Great (540-604) was born into a prominent family. He studied law and by age 30 was mayor of Rome. During that time he distributed his wealth to the poor and to establish new monasteries. He entered the Benedictine monastery, hoping to live a simple life. That hope changed quickly. Gregory was sent to represent the pope in the court of the emperor of Constantinople. Gregory was sent back to Rome to become the pope’s secretary. When Pope Pelagius II died in 596, Gregory was elected to take his place.

During his 14 year pontificate, Gregory served the faithful in many pastoral ways. His monastic background enabled him to improve the liturgy and church music. Gregorian chant is named in his honor. Many of the prayers recited in the Eucharist are attributed to Pope Gregory, for example, the Christmas Preface and the Preface of Easter and the Ascension. He is also credited with the placement of the “Our Father” in the Mass.

Gregory’s papal writings and teachings were extremely influential. They were based on his vision of pastoral care to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the people. Pope Gregory rebuilt ruined churches. His talents were spiritual as well as tempered with day-to-day practicality. He updated clergy education and emphasized the urgency of preaching and living the Good News. During a time of famine throughout Europe, Pope Gregory organized the distribution of food to the starving and encouraged the rich to serve the poor. He called this work “the art of arts.” Gregory was a genuinely pastoral pope. His profound concern for the poor shaped the direction of ministry for centuries. No single person in the history of the church other than Saint Benedict did more to reverse the Dark Age than Gregory the Great. One small example of Gregory’s pastoral concern was his introduction of illustrated Bibles in order to make the word of God accessible to the illiterate.

The most accurate summary of Pope Gregory’s papacy is to affirm two aspects of his remarkable talents. He was able to combine pastoral leadership and prayer with personal holiness and social service. His later years were troubled with poor health. He died on March 12, 604 and was buried in St. Peter’s Basilica with the epitaph “Consul of God.” He was canonized by acclamation at the time of his death. His feast day is celebrated on September 3. He is the patron saint of musicians and teachers.
 

World Timeline

The lifetime of Gregory coincided with a great deal of turbulence and suffering throughout Europe. There were famines, epidemics, and wars. It was a time for great leadership, generous service, and making the Gospel message more visible to all people. For instance, the late 500s were marked with epidemics, famine, and earthquakes throughout Europe. This same period also witnessed scientific advancement in that the use of the decimal point was introduced in India. The early 600s saw the beginning of book printing in China. The dreaded disease of small pox spread from India to China and to parts of Europe. The world of art and small business was revitalized when the draw loom was invented in Egypt, making it possible to artists and merchants to weave patterns on silk tapestries.