Saint Paula

While working in the library at Grace College, I audited some French classes. The professor was very good at integrating interesting cultural tidbits into his classes. One assignment was to see if there was a saint associated with our name and look on some French calendars and lists he had to determine that saint’s day. There she was—Sainte Paula in French—and the day of her commemoration is January 26th. In some cultures, your saint’s day is as important or more important than your birthday.

 

The irony is that I would end up with only one day of celebration; I was born January 26th. The internet told me that Saint Paula was born 347 A.D. of patrician roots, widowed at age 32, converted to Christianity, became an ascetic, and knew Saint Jerome. She set up a convent in the Holy Land and died at age 56 in Bethlehem. She had 5 children.

 

I had never heard of her before that French class. I wasn’t named after her. I was named for my father Paul. Her Day is coming and so is my birthday. May it be a good day.