Pope Saint Sylvester I

Also known as

• Silvester

Memorial

• 31 December (Latin calendar)
• 2 January (Eastern calendar)

Profile

Son of Rufinus. Pope in the reign of Emperor Constantine I. Built the Basilica of Saint John Lateran and other churches. Sent legates to the First Council of Nicaea, and was involved in the controversy over Arianism. The spurious Donation of Constantine was supposedly given to Saint Sylvester.

Born

• Roman

Papal Ascension

• 314

Died

• 31 December 335 at Rome, Italy
• relics transferred to the Church of Saint Sylvester in Capite in Rome in 761

Canonized

• Pre-Congregation

Patronage

• animals
• for good harvests
• stone masons
• —
• Feroleto Antico, Italy
• Poggio Catino, Italy

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Catholic Encyclopedia
• Catholic Online
• Christian Biographies, by James Kiefer
• Ecole Glossary, by Karen Rae Keck
• Heiligen 3s
• Katherine Rabenstein
• Kirken i Norge
• Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints, by Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, and Stephen Bunson
• Popes Through the Ages, by Joseph Brusher, SJ
• Vikipedio

MLA Citation

• “Pope Saint Sylvester I“. Saints.SQPN.com. 31 December 2012. Web. 25 May 2013. <>