Paulinus of York
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| Saint Paulinus of York | |
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Statue of St. Paulinus of York. Interior of Rochester Cathedral.
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| Archbishop | |
| Born | N/K, Italy |
| Died | 644, Rochester, Kent |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church; Anglican Church |
| Major shrine | Rochester Cathedral, now destroyed |
| Feast | 10 October |
| Attributes | archbishop holding a model of a small wooden church (at York) |
| Patronage | York; Rochester; those displaced from office |
- For Saint Paulinus of Wales, see Pol Aurelian
Contents
Early Life
Paulinus was a monk at St Andrew's Monastery in Rome, when, in 601, Pope Gregory I sent him to join Mellitus and others in the second group of missionaries to England. Writing in 731, Bede described Paulinus as "a tall figure, slightly bent, with black hair, a thin hooked nose, and an emaciated face" (Stenton, 1971, p. 116). He was in Kent until 625, when he was consecrated as bishop by Justus. He then accompanied Æthelberg, the sister of King Eadbald of Kent, to Northumbria where she was to marry King Edwin.Archbishop of York
According to Bede, Paulinus eventually convinced Edwin to convert to Christianity, baptizing him and many of his followers at York in 627. Gregory desired York to be England's second metrepolitical see. So Paulinus built a small wooden church there and, with the support of Edwin, he greatly expanded the church throughout Northumbria. For example, during a stay with Edwin and Æthelberg at their palace in Yeavering, he worked incessently for thirty-six days baptizing new converts, according to Bede, "wash[ing] them with the water of absolution in the River Glen, which is close by."W.W. Tomlinson, Comprehensive guide to the county of Northumberland. Reprinted 1968. (Trowbridge, UK: Redwood), 504.Bishop of Rochester
When Edwin was defeated and killed in battle in 633, Paulinus took the queen and her children to Kent, where he spent the remainder of his life as Bishop of Rochester. Edwin's defeat led immediately to a sharp decline of Christianity in Northumbria. Although Paulinus' deacon, James, remained in the North and struggled to rebuild the Roman mission, it was monks from the rival Celtic tradition who eventually re-established Christianity in the region, York eventually becoming a mere bishopric.Legends
A legend once told in the town of Caistor concerning St. Paulinus of York states that as the saint was riding an ass along the ancient trackway that runs near the town, he met a man sowing corn. Paulinus asked for some grain to feed his ass; the man replied that he had none. Spotting a sack in the field, Paulinus asked the man what it contained. "That is no sack," the man lied, "but only a stone." "Then stone it shall be," the saint replied. The stone is now known as Fonaby Stone (also known as the Sack Stone or Stone Sack), which sits upon Fonaby Top, and any attempt to move, displace, or damage is said to result in dreadful misfortune. This is said to have occurred around 627, during St. Paulinus' visit to Caistor.Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain (London: The Reader’s Digest Association, 1973), 288.Veneration
The festival of Saint Paulinus is formally observed by English Roman Catholics on 10 October, the anniversary of his death. Five ancient churches in England were dedicated to him, and there were cults of him at Canterbury and Rochester.Notes
References
- Farmer, David Hugh. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1978), 318-9.
- Stenton, F. (1971). Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
External links
- [Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Paulinus, Archbishop of York]
- [Early British Kingdoms: St. Paulinus of York]
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