Paulinus of Nola

Who they were

Paulinus was born at Bordeaux in 355 to a patrician Roman family and taught by the poet Ausonius; by 381 he was governor of Campania, where he came to know the story of the martyr St Felix. He married Therasia; their only son died after eight days. Suffering from an eye disease no doctor could cure, he went with his friend Sulpicius Severus to St Martin of Tours and was healed.

Baptised at Bordeaux in 388, he and Therasia gave up the world and their wealth. Ordained priest, he settled at Nola near the tomb of St Felix, where he lived as a monk and later became bishop, serving the poor. He died in 431 and was buried beside St Felix.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: Paulinus has been honoured as a saint since his death. His body, taken to Rome in the eleventh century, returned to Nola in 1909.

Why that counted as sanctity

Paulinus left a brilliant career and a great fortune 'for the faith, my country and my home', and spent the rest of his life in prayer and charity at the shrine of a martyr.

Connected on this site

• Melania the Elder Saint Relative
  “She was a contemporary of, and well known to, Abba Macarius and other Desert Fathers in Egypt, Jerome, Augustine of Hippo, Paulinus of Nola (her cousin or cousin-in-law; he gives a colorful description of her visit to Nola in his Letters), and Evagrius of Pontus, and she founded two religious communities on the…” — Wikipedia
• Boniface I Saint
  “He is credited with the introduction of bells to Christian worship and helped resolve the disputed election of Pope Boniface I.” — Wikipedia
• Felix of Nola Saint
  “St Paulinus of Nola, who served at his shrine, tells of the pilgrims who came to it.” — this site's research
• Martin of Tours Saint
  “Suffering from an eye disease no doctor could cure, he went with his friend Sulpicius Severus to St Martin of Tours and was healed.” — this site's research
• Nicetas of Remesiana Saint
  “Nicetas was Bishop of Remesiana in Dacia, friend of St Paulinus of Nola, who wrote poems in his honour.” — this site's research
• Simplicius of Vienne Saint
  “Gregory of Tours cites a lost letter of Paulinus of Nola (died 431) as having praised Simplicius, considering him "one of the most worthy bishops of his time".” — Wikipedia
• Sulpicius Severus Saint
  “Suffering from an eye disease no doctor could cure, he went with his friend Sulpicius Severus to St Martin of Tours and was healed.” — this site's research