Saint Paula of Rome

Also known as

• Paulina of Rome
• Pauline the Widow

Memorial

• 26 January

Profile

Member of the Imperial Roman nobility, married to senator Toxotius. Mother of five children including Saint Eustochium and Saint Blaesilla. Widowed at age 32 in 379, she devoted her fortune and the rest of her life to spiritual development and care for the poor. Friend of Saint Marcella, Saint Epiphanius, and Saint Paulinus of Antioch. Friend, spiritual student and supporter of Saint Jerome whom she met in 382; he later wrote her biography. Pilgrim to the Holy Lands in 385. She settled in Bethlehem in 396 where she built churches, a hospice, monastery and convent where she served as the first abbess.

Born

• 5 May 347 at Rome, Italy

Died

• 404 at Bethlehem of natural causes
• buried under the Church of the Nativity at Nazareth

Patronage

• widows

Storefront

• medals and pendants

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Catholic Encyclopedia, by Louis Saltet
• Catholic Online
• Ecole Glossary, by Karen Rae Keck
• Katherine Rabenstein
• Letter of Paula and Eustochium to Marcella
• Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
• National Gallery of Art
• New Catholic Dictionary
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints

MLA Citation

• “Saint Paula of Rome“. Saints.SQPN.com. 12 April 2013. Web. 25 May 2013. <>