St. Leo the Great was Pope during the 5th century. He believed that his role as pope was to be a servant of the servants of God. He was pope during a very difficult time for the Church. There were many popular heresies about church teachings. These lies about our faith caused people to argue with one another and divided God’s people. St. Leo the Great preached many sermons and wrote many letters to stop the spread of these heresies and to pass the faith on to Christians everywhere.
St. Leo the Great cared greatly for the poor and sick people of Rome. He inspired others to be charitable with his example.
When Attila the Hun’s army marched on Rome, Saint Leo the Great showed great courage. He personally met with the invaders and persuaded them to turn back.
In a time when most people could not read or write, and books were rare luxuries, preaching was the best way to teach people about the faith. Saint Leo the Great was a very famous preacher. He knew Scripture well and could relate it to humble people just as easily as he could explain it to learned priests and bishops. Saint Leo the Great’s profound sermons and writings, which still encourage us today, led him to be named a Doctor of the Church.
Saint Leo the Great was the first pope to have “the Great” added to his name. We can ask Saint Leo the Great to ask God to help us to be able to explain our faith clearly, to have great love for the poor, and to be courageous.