Saint Paulinus of Nola Resource Page

St. Paulinus of Nola (Feast Day - January 23)

Saint Paulinus the Merciful, Bishop of Nola (+ 431)

Prologue in Sermons: January 23 

On Saint Paulinus of Nola (Sulpicius Severus)

On Saint Paulinus of Nola (St. Eucherius of Lyon)

The Correspondence Between St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Paulinus of Nola 

A Miracle of Saint Paulinus of Nola (St. Gregory the Dialogist)

Holy Martyrs Justus and Pastor of Complutum

Paulinus of Nola and the Distribution of a Relic of the True Cross

The Correspondence Between St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Paulinus of Nola

In his City of God (Bk. 1, Ch. 10), St. Augustine says the following about his contemporary St. Paulinus of Nola:

"For if many were glad that their treasure was stored in places which the enemy chanced not to light upon, how much better founded was the joy of those who, by the counsel of their God, had fled with their treasure to a citadel which no enemy can possibly reach! Thus our Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, who voluntarily abandoned vast wealth and became quite poor, though abundantly rich in holiness, when the barbarians sacked Nola, and took him prisoner, used silently to pray, as he afterwards told me, 'O Lord, let me not be troubled for gold and silver, for where all my treasure is You know.' For all his treasure was where he had been taught to hide and store it by Him who had also foretold that these calamities would happen in the world. Consequently those persons who obeyed their Lord when He warned them where and how to lay up treasure, did not lose even their earthly possessions in the invasion of the barbarians; while those who are now repenting that they did not obey Him have learned the right use of earthly goods, if not by the wisdom which would have prevented their loss, at least by the experience which follows it."

On Saint Paulinus of Nola (Sulpicius Severus)

Sulpicius Severus (+ 425) was a Christian writer and native of Aquitania in modern-day France. He was a friend and admirer of Saint Paulinus of Nola and spiritual child and biographer of Saint Martin of Tours. In his Life of Martin, Severus describes his first meeting with him, and he reports:

"[Martin's] talk with us was about not other than the abandonment of the enticements of the world and the burdens of the age so that we might follow the Lord Jesus freely and readily. And he offered to us the most outstanding example of our time, that illustrious man Paulinus, whom we mentioned earlier. He, having thrown away his great wealth and followed Christ, almost alone in these times had fulfilled the evangelical teaching. 'We must follow and imitate him!' he exclaimed. The present age was fortune in an example of such great faith and virtue, since, according to the will of God, as a rich man and possessing many things, by selling all and giving to the poor, he had made possible by example what was impossible to accomplish."

On Saint Paulinus of Nola (St. Eucherius of Lyon)

Saint Eucherius, Bishop of Lyon (+ 449), was a contemporary of Saint Paulinus, Bishop of Nola (+ 431). He wrote a work titled "On Contempt for the World," and in it he praised Paulinus for renouncing his wealth and high office to respond to the higher call of service to God. He thus wrote of him:

"Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, the great ornament and light of France, a person of princely revenues, powerful eloquence, and most accomplished learning, so highly approved of this our profession that choosing for himself 'the better part,' he divided all his princely inheritance amongst the poor, and afterward filled most part of the world with his elegant and pious writings."

A Miracle of Saint Paulinus of Nola (St. Gregory the Dialogist)

By St. Gregory the Dialogist

(Dialogues, Bk. 3, Ch. 1)

Being careful to entreat of such fathers as lived not long since, I passed over the worthy acts of those that were in former times, so that I had almost forgot the miracle of Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, who both for time was more ancient, and for virtue more notable, than many of those which I have spoken of. Wherefore I will now speak of him, but as briefly as I can. For as the life and actions of good men are soonest known to such as be like them, so the famous name of venerable Paulinus became known to my holy elders, and his admirable fact served for their instruction: who, for their gravity and old years, are as well to be credited, as if that which they reported they had seen with their own eyes.