Paulinus of Nola - Life

Life

Meropius Pontius Paulinus was born ca. 352 at Bordeaux. He was from a notable senatorial family with estates in Aquitaine, northern Spain, and southern Italy. He was educated in Bordeaux, where his teacher, the poet Ausonius, also became his friend. At some time during his boyhood he made a visit to the shrine of St Felix at Nola near Naples.

His normal career as a young member of the senatorial class did not last long. In 375 the emperor Gratian succeeded his father Valentinian. Gratian made Paulinus suffect consul at Rome ca. 377, and appointed him governor of the southern Italian province of Campagna ca. 380-1, but in 383 Gratian was assassinated at Lyon, and ca. 384 Paulinus returned to Bordeaux. There he married a Spanish Christian woman named Therasia. Paulinus himself became a Christian and was baptized ca. 389 by bishop Delphinus of Bordeaux. Shortly afterwards he and his wife moved to their estates in Spain. When they lost their first child, a boy, only eight days after birth, the couple decided to live a secluded religious life.

In 393 or 394, after some resistance from Paulinus, he was ordained a presbyter on Christmas day by Lampius, Bishop of Barcelona. (This was similar to what happened with Saint Augustine of Hippo, who had been ordained against his will in the year 391 by a crowd cooperating with Bishop Valerius in the north African city of Hippo Regius.) However, there is some debate as to whether the ordination was canonical since he received ordination "at a leap" (per saltum), without receiving minor orders first.

Paulinus refused to remain in Barcelona, and in late spring of 395 he and his wife moved from Spain to Nola in Campagna, where he remained until his death. Paulinus credited his conversion to Saint Felix, who was buried in Nola, and each year would write a poem in honor of the saint. He and Therasia also rebuilt a church commemorating St Felix. During these years Paulinus engaged in considerable epistolary dialogue with Saint Jerome among others about monastic topics.

Therasia died some time between 408 and 413, and shortly afterwards Paulinus received episcopal ordination.

Paulinus died at Nola on 22 June 431. The following year the presbyter Uranus wrote his De Obitu Paulini, an account of the death and character of the saint.