Collection: 📚 St. Paul (Saul of Tarsus)

St. Paul the Apostle, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was one of the greatest missionaries and theologians in the history of the Church. Born into a Jewish family in Tarsus and trained as a Pharisee under the respected teacher Gamaliel, Saul initially persecuted Christians, believing he was defending the Jewish faith. While traveling to Damascus, however, he encountered the risen Jesus Christ in a dramatic conversion that transformed his life forever.

After his baptism, Paul devoted himself entirely to proclaiming the Gospel. Over the course of three major missionary journeys, he established Christian communities throughout Asia Minor, Greece, and eventually reached Rome. His letters to these churches form a significant portion of the New Testament and continue to shape Christian theology, particularly regarding salvation by grace, the Church as the Body of Christ, and the centrality of Christ's death and Resurrection.

Paul endured imprisonment, persecution, shipwrecks, and countless hardships for the sake of the Gospel. According to ancient Christian tradition, he was martyred in Rome by beheading during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero.

Lived: c. AD 5 – c. AD 64–67 | Feast Day: June 29 (with St. Peter); Conversion of St. Paul: January 25 | Canonized: Pre-Congregation
Patronage: Missionaries, evangelists, theologians, authors, journalists, tentmakers, and the city of Malta.