Who
was St Paul?
Paul was originally known as Saul, and he was known for
persecuting Christians during the time of the early Christian Church. After an
encounter and visit with the Risen Jesus one day, he converted to Christianity.
During his travels as a disciple of Christ, he journeyed to many cities,
including Philippi, Corinth, Thessalonica and Rome. He often wrote letters to the newly
established parishes there.
"At the end of his journey [Paul] was to say of
himself: 'For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle... a teacher of
the Gentiles in faith and truth' (1 Tm 2: 7; cf. 2 Tm 1: 11). A teacher of
the Gentiles, an apostle and a herald of Jesus Christ, this is how he described
himself, looking back over the path of his life. But ... Paul is not a figure of the past whom
we remember with veneration. He is also our teacher, an Apostle and herald of
Jesus Christ." -Pope Benedict XVI, 28 June 2008, at the
beginning of the Pauline Year.
Read the full speech.
For a complete story (this was just the highlights!), please
visit this website. You might also enjoy the
Acts of
the Apostles and
Paul's
letters, found in the Holy Bible, which chronicle Paul's travels.
Do you know why Saint Paul has a sword and a book?
This interesting Question & Answer document
about St. Paul tells why and is full of fun and intriguing St. Paul
trivia.
