Picture: unknown artist · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Robert Grosseteste
English bishop and philosopher
SaintResearchedKingdom of EnglandFranciscansPre-congregation
Feast: 9 October (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
1175
verified
Died
9 October 1253
verified
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Robert Grosseteste, of a poor Suffolk family, became one of the most learned men of the Middle Ages, teaching at Oxford.
He became Bishop of Lincoln and died on 9 October 1253.
The miracles
Efforts were made by bishops, King Edward I and the University of Oxford to have him canonised, but all were unsuccessful.
Why that counted as sanctity
One of the most learned men of the Middle Ages.
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Robert Grosseteste
- Wikidata Q256541 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Robert Grosseteste (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.