Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Paulinus of Nola.

He was the son of the Roman prefect of Gaul, who owned substantial property in both Gaul and Italy, and was born not far from Bordeaux. Paulinus rose to prominence as a lawyer and served in several government positions throughout the Roman Empire. He retired early to spend a life of intellectual leisure with his Spanish wife, Therasia.

The two headed to Therasia’s estate in Spain after being baptized by the saintly bishop of Bordeaux. After several years of infertility, they eventually had a son, but sadly passed just a week after birth. They started living a life of extreme generosity and austerity, giving away most of their Spanish assets. Paulinus was quite unexpectedly made a priest at Christmas by the bishop of Barcelona, possibly because of this excellent example.

The couple then relocated to Nola, a town close to Naples. He devoted substantial time and energy to fostering devotion to Saint Felix of Nola out of his deep affection for the saint. To the dismay of his relatives, Paulinus handed up almost all of his remaining possessions while continuing his work for the underprivileged. While helping several debtors, the unfortunate, and other needy people, he lived a monastic life in another part of his house. He served as the diocese’s bishop for 21 years after being chosen as Nola’s bishop by public vote.

The Hun invasion brought sadness to Paulinus’ final years. The earliest surviving Christian wedding song is one of his few works. On June 22, people celebrate his liturgical feast.

source: franciscanmedia.org