What was the primary role of St. Columba and St. Augustine during the Anglo-Saxon period?

Christianity's arrival in Britain wasn't a single event, but a gradual process. The Romans had introduced it, but Anglo-Saxon invasions pushed it to the fringes. St. Columba, an Irish monk, established a monastery on the island of Iona in 563 AD, from which he and his followers began converting people in Scotland and northern England. Then, in 597 AD, Pope Gregory the Great sent St. Augustine to England. Augustine landed in Kent and successfully converted King Ethelbert, establishing a church in Canterbury, which became the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. So, while the Anglo-Saxons were settling and forming kingdoms, these two figures were instrumental in re-establishing and spreading Christianity. They weren't leading rebellions, fighting battles, or inventing farm tools; their mission was a spiritual one, focused on converting the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. It's easy to confuse them with military or political figures, but their lasting impact was religious.