Anselm of Canterbury

Anselm was born around 1033–1034 in Aosta in the Alpine region of Upper Burgundy (now Italy). Drawn early to God, he longed for monastic life, yet only after years of inner struggle and travel through Burgundy and France did he arrive in Normandy and enter the Benedictine abbey of Bec as a novice in 1060. Formed by the Rule of Saint Benedict and guided by the great teacher Lanfranc, Anselm grew into a wise monk and gentle spiritual father. He became prior and, in 1078, abbot of Bec, leading it to become one of Europe’s foremost centers of learning and holiness. His writings—marked by prayerful reason—helped shape Christian theology, including his reflections on God’s existence and the mystery of the atonement. In 1093 he was made Archbishop of Canterbury, where he courageously defended the Church’s freedom during the Investiture Controversy, enduring two exiles for resisting royal pressure. Venerated as a saint and later named a Doctor of the Church, he is honored as patron of places and institutions such as Challand-Saint-Anselme and St Anselm’s College. His feast day is April 21.