Peter of Canterbury was an Italian missionary and a key member of the Gregorian mission to Kent. Serving as a companion to Augustine, he helped spread Christianity among the Anglo-Saxons starting in 597. He held the position of abbot at the monastery of SS. Peter and Paul, which was later known as St Augustine's Abbey. During his service, he acted as an emissary to Rome to communicate with Pope Gregory I regarding the progress and needs of the mission in England.