540-604
Banners from the Rotunda of Witnesses
Banner Quote:
To this end the Lord appeared in the flesh that he might arouse the life of man by his teaching, kindle it by his example, redeem it by his death, and renew it by his resurrection.
This important leader of the Western Church began as chief legal counsel in Rome. At the age of 30, he renounced his secular wealth and influence and entered a monastery outside of Rome. Later elected Pope, Gregory instituted wide-ranging reforms in liturgy and polity. His unbounded zeal for missions is depicted in the lower right of the banner by the figure of Augustine of Canterbury, missionary to the English. Shown in the upper left is Columba, missionary to Ireland, distributing bags of grain to defray the waves of famine among the Irish. Gregory's motto for the Papacy, Servant of the Servants of God, well expresses his concern to minister to the poor, the suffering, and those who had not heard of Jesus Christ.