Today's Saint (May 19): Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury

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Saint Dunstan (c. 909-988), Monk and Archbishop of Canterbury was born of a noble family near Glastonbury, England. He is best known for his religious reforms in the Church of England, which he enacted while abbott of Glastonbury monastery, and later as archbishop of Canterbury.

Dunstan advocated the Rule of St. Benedict as the standard for many of the monasteries of England. With order and religious zeal restored, the monasteries flourished, purifying and giving new life to the rest of the Church.

Dunstan's life shows the truth of the words of the feast's Tract, "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: he hath great delight in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the faithful shall be blessed. Riches and plenteousness shall be in his house; and his righteousness endureth for ever." (Page F 24, People's Anglican Missal).

The accompanying picture is of the stained glass window in the Monastic Chapel of Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, New York.

The Day's Propers
Catholic Encyclopedia article

Books Worth Considering
Dunstan : Saint and Statesman
A History of the Church in England
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (Oxford Paperback Reference)

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