When the Saxons first settled in Britain, they were all pagans. The Pope was in charge of all Christians. In AD 598, he decided to send a bishop, named Augustine, to persuade all the Saxons to become Christians. St. Augustine crossed the English Channel and went to the palace of King Aethelbert of Kent in Canterbury. King Aethelbert was a pagan, but his wife was a Christian. She was a Frank (from France). Augustine hoped she would welcome him. He was right. Augustine spoke to the King about the Bible. He persuaded Aethelbert to become a Christian. All Aethelbert’s people became Christians too. Aethelbert gave Augustine lots of land. He built 2 big monasteries. The first was called St. Augustine’s Abbey. The other one is Canterbury Cathedral. Augustine is usually called ‘St. Augustine of Canterbury’. Do not mix him up with another famous man called ‘St. Augustine of Hippo’. Later, missionaries went to other Saxon Kingdoms and persuaded them to become Christian too.