General Reference
Early missions to Ireland and Britain
The multiplication of churches and schools followed missionary efforts and the English churches were brought into closer contact with the Catholic system on the Continent. Roman Catholic authority later was extended over Ireland and Scotland.
Gregory I and the medieval papacy
Gregory, the first monk to sit on the papal chair, marked the transition from the ancient to the medieval. Appreciative of the old, he preserved orthodoxy while instituting changes that carried the Church forward. He also launched missionary campaigns to unreached barbarians north of the old frontier.
Fourth- and fifth-century monasticism
Monks cleared forests and built monasteries, setting for the common people an example of industry and morality. They preserved and copied ancient manuscripts, studied the writings of the past, and established monastery schools. Certain of the monks became missionaries to the forest tribes of the North.