The Rule of St. Benedict was the inspiration for the Benedictine Order of monks who were first responsible for the life and work of many English cathedrals. St. Benedict was the founder of western monasticism and the Order which bears his name quickly spread all over Europe. Both Pope Gregory the Great and St. Augustine, whom he sent to be the first Archbishop of Canterbury, were Benedictines. The Order was largely responsible for teaching the faith and spreading the gospel in the early Middle Ages.