He was born in 1033 in northwest Italy, educated at a Benedictine monastery in Normandy, France, and later became the abbot. A prominent theological philosopher, he is best known for his teachings on the relationship between faith and reason and the proof of God’s existence. During a visit to Chester, England, he learned that he had been elected the next Archbishop of Canterbury, a position he accepted most reluctantly, foreseeing conflicts between church and state. He died at 78 – a very long life in those days - and his symbol, the ship, reflects his many sea voyages between Britain and Rome.

The nautical motif is seen frequently at St. Anselm’s Church; from the emblem on our sign on Michael Lane, the ship’s bell in the bell tower, and our baptismal font (a deep-sea giant clamshell).