San Gregorio Magno al Celio, also known as San Gregorio al Celio or simply San Gregorio, is a church in Rome, Italy, which is part of a monastery of monks of the Camaldolese branch of the Benedictine Order. St. Augustine of Canterbury and his Benedictines were sent by Pope Saint Gregory the Great, the basilica’s namesake and patron saint, to evangelize England in 597 AD. The 1,100th anniversary of the founding of their order was celebrated here at an evening Lenten Vespers service on Saturday, March 10, 2012. It was attended by Anglican and Catholic prelates, and was jointly led by the Holy Father, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, and His Grace, theMost Reverend Archbishop Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. It is located on the Caelian Hill, in front of the Palatine. Next to the basilica and monastery is a convent of nuns and a homeless shelter run by the order Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta founded, the Missionaries of Charity. Read more…

For me, this was something really, really special. It was unplanned, me and my travelling companion Jonathan had been at Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura (The Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls) and while there I remembered this spot on the Caelian hill… Gregrory the Great is someone I’ve studied extensively and his life is something very special and inspirational to me. This was probably the highlight of my trip. In a side chapel in the Church, Gregory’s Cathedra.