St. Leo the Great St. Leo the Great

Saint Leo, the patron of our church, was pope form 440 to his death in 461. Little is known of his early life except that he was held in great esteem proir to his election as Bishop of Rome. As a theologian and teacher, he was intrumental in settleing a dispute over the person Jesus, declaring once and for all that "Two natrues are united without change, and without division, and without confusion in Christ." At a time when the world was cracking at the seams from the disintegration of the Roman empire and the advancing barbarians, Leo stood forth as a leader of commanding character and genius who dramatically and successfully asserted the authority of the Church.