by Robert Hugh Benson

Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914) was the youngest son of Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury, and younger brother of Edward Frederic Benson. In 1895, he was ordained a priest in the Church of England by his father who was then Archbishop of Canterbury. His father died suddenly in 1896, and Benson began to question the status of the Church of England, eventually obtaining permission to join the Community of the Resurrection. He made his profession as a member of the community in 1901, at which time he had no thoughts of leaving the Church of England, but as he continued his studies and began writing, he became more and more uneasy with his own doctrinal position. On September 11, 1903, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1904 and was sent to Cambridge. He continued his writing career along with the usual elements of priestly ministry. He was named a Monsignor in 1911.