Bede Jarrett

Born Cyril Beaufort Jarrett in London on August 22, 1881, he entered the Dominican Order as a teenager and took the name Bede. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1904, later studied history at Oxford, and became known as an English Dominican friar, preacher, historian, and author.

Jarrett played an important part in Dominican life in England. He served as prior in London, was elected provincial of the English Dominicans, and in 1921 founded Blackfriars Priory at the University of Oxford, helping to restore a Dominican presence there centuries after the Reformation.

He also wrote many books that brought church history and spirituality to a broad readership, including works on St. Dominic, medieval religion, and Christian living. He died in London on March 17, 1934, and is remembered for combining serious scholarship with a direct, readable style.