● Orthodox Remembrance Day: June 29
● Name means: S: the desired one (hebr.) P: the small one (greek – lat.)
● Apostles
● Patron: theologians and pastors, workers; the Catholic press; for rain and fertility of the
fields; against fear and anxiety, ear ailments, spasms, snakebite, lightning and hail
● Attribute: Book, Sword
● Born: around 8 in Tarsus
● Died: around 64 in Rome
Paul, originally known as Saul, was born to affluent Jewish parents who held Roman citizenship.
He grew up in a Greek-bourgeois environment and was fluent in Greek. Saul followed his
father’s footsteps by learning the trade of tent-carpet weaving, while also immersing himself in
the Jewish faith as a lay theologian among the Pharisees.
As a young man, Saul traveled to Jerusalem to study under the esteemed Jewish teacher Gamaliel
in pursuit of a higher level of theological education. Despite his impressive resume, Saul’s zeal
for the faith led him to become a notorious persecutor of the nascent Christian church. He
viewed the Christian movement as a deviant sect of Judaism that needed to be eradicated in order
to preserve the purity of the Jewish faith.
In the year 35/36, Saul stood guard over the clothes of those who carried out the stoning of
Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He was soon after tasked with leading more persecutions of
Christians in Damascus. However, a life-changing event occurred when Saul had a miraculous
encounter with the risen Christ outside Damascus.
This encounter transformed Saul and led him to become one of the most influential figures in
Christian history. From this point on, Saul adopted the name Paul and dedicated his life to
spreading the gospel of Christ. His conversion story is a testament to the power of faith and the
transformative nature of a personal encounter with God.
