Subj : =?UTF-8?Q?March_12th_=E2=80=93_St=2E_Paul_Aurelian?= To : All From : rich Date : Sun Mar 11 2018 10:08:16 From: rich March 12th =E2=80=93 St. Paul Aurelian Also known as Paul of L=C3=A9on, Paol Aorelian, Paulinus Aurelianus, Paul Aurelian of L=C3=A9on, Pol de L=C3=A9on Like the naming of Constantine, this saint reminds us of how the influence of the Roman occupation lingered on after the legions had left Britain. Paul was born in Genychen in East Glamorgan about the year 480 of a Romano-British family, his father Porphius being an "official of high dignity". He was sent to be educated by St. Illtyd, first at Caldy Island and then at the famous monastery of Llantwit Major, having David, Sampson and Gildas among his fellow students. He learnt not only from books but also from the manual labour in which all the community was expected to share and included reclaiming fertile ground by banking up the River Severn. When he was quite young he left to set up an hermitage for himself where he was joined by a dozen other young men who regarded him as their leader and there he was ordained priest by St. Dyfrig. A local king called Mark tried to persuade him to be a bishop to his people who were of mixed race, "speaking four tongues", but he was unwilling to accept this office and after quarreling with the king who refused to give him one of his 7 bells he departed to Cornwall. Paul's sister Sitafolia had established a convent near Penzance, possibly at Newlyn, and he built himself a church in the parish which bears his name where there are two ancient Celtic crosses, one set into the wall of the church which boasts the second highest tower in Cornwall. It is a tradition that his sister's community was threatened by encroachments by the sea and that they together marked out the tide-time with pebbles and at his prayers the pebbles grew into rocks which prevented further erosion of the land. After a while Paul moved on to Brittany landing on the Isle of Ouessant at a place called Porzpol and there constructed a monastery consisting of a small church and 13 huts of turf and stone at a place still called Lampol. He did not remain on the island for long but founded another monastic centre on the mainland at Lampaul Plondalmezon where his monks christianised some of the pagan menhirs by cutting them into crosses. However Paul was still not satisfied and felt he needed the sanction of the civil authority and so he went in search of the chieftain of Leon who turned out to be a relative from Gwent, Withur, a devout Christian then living in the Isle of Batz. When Paul arrived at his house he was just finishing transcribing a copy of the Gospels which he gave to him with a bell, which had been denied him by the chieftain in Wales. The holy Abbot is believed to have delivered the island of Batz of a monstrous serpent or dragon which had terrorized the inhabitants and a hole in the island is still pointed out as its lair. Withur gave Paul land on the Isle of Batz and also the ruined Roman town of Ocismor and there he built his main foundation, which is now known as St Pol de Leon. Withur, realizing that the status of Abbot which was recognized among the British was not acceptable to the people of Gaul, managed to get Paul consecrated bishop by sending him on a mission to Childebert the Frankish king and so he became the first diocesan of that part of Brittany. With his monks the bishop began the work of evangelizing the native population who were nearly all pagan. About the year 526 St. Paul resigned his See to his nephew Joerin and retired to Batz where he was visited by St. Brendan. More than 20 years later he resumed his episcopate when a change of rulers took place after a great battle at Gerber, where he built another abbey, now called Le Relecq because of the large number of bones of the slain. He only remained as bishop for a short time before resigning once again and going to Batz where he died about 580 more than a 100 years old. His body is enshrined in the old Cathedral at St Pol de Leon where his bell is preserved and his stole can be seen at Batz (Bowen, Baring Gould and Fisher). Saint Quote: Our Lord does not come down from Heaven every day to lie in a golden ciborium. He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to him--the heaven of our souls, created in His Image, the living temples of the Adorable Trinity. --Saint Therese of Lisieux Bible Quote You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:16) DRB <><><><> Act Of Petition Give me Yourself, O my God, give Yourself to me. Behold I love You, and if my love is too weak a thing, grant me to love You more strongly. I cannot measure my love to know how much it falls short of being sufficient, but let my soul hasten to Your embrace and never be turned away until it is hidden in the secret shelter of Your presence. This only do I know, that it is not good for me when You are not with me, when You are only outside me. I want You in my very self. All the plenty in the world which is not my God is utter want. Amen. (By Saint Augustine of Hippo.) --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .