Try your Pauline knowledge with this great game created by Fernando Pérez Valdez,
Sanctuary of Our Lady of El Pueblito Querétaro, Mexico

This Byzantine icon, vividly depicting the idea of the concordia apostolorum of saints Peter and Paul, is engraved on the cover of the book entitled “St. Paul’s Within the Walls,” written by the first Rector of this Parish, The Rev. Robert Jenkins Nevin. The church records the life of Paul both in its artwork (note the scene on the façade with St. Paul in prison, and the beautiful stained glass windows around the church depicting scenes from his life) as well as in its Anglican Pauline theology.

This year celebrates the 2000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul, and has been designated ‘The Pauline year.’ It begins on June 28, 2008, and will end on June 29, 2009.

Each Sunday we will carry into the church a painted version of the above icon which will be placed on the Altar during the Eucharist services, in honor of the dual nature (Petrine and Pauline) of our Christian tradition. The jubilee will offer many special opportunities for parishioners and friends of this Church of St. Paul’s Within the Walls, those who live in Rome, and those who travel to the city during the anniversary year. There will be a myriad of events in the areas of ecumenism, liturgy, prayer, art, history, archaeology, and pastoral initiatives within a wide variety of churches in the city of Rome, including our own. All of this celebrates the birth of the Apostle Paul, for whom our own church is named.

Paul was born in Tarsus, in what is now Turkey, at the start of the Christian era, at some point between A.D. 5 and A.D. 10. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, he became one of the church’s foremost evangelizers, first among the Jews, and then among the Gentiles. St. Paul’s letters are a primary source of information about the life of the early church and they have strongly influenced church thinking throughout the centuries.

Throughout the year we can all join in special Pauline “pilgrimages” within Rome to places connected with St. Paul’s life, including the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, the Church of St. Paul of the Rule, and of course our own St. Paul’s Within the Walls. This jubilee opens a special opportunity for our St. Paul’s to welcome pilgrims, who will come to us in large numbers, and to witness to our own particular Anglican/Episcopal living out of the Gospel of Jesus Christ whose proclamation has been so shaped by this apostle born now over two millennia ago.

Pauline Pilgrimage
Sunday 28th October 2008
Beginning with a Eucharist at St. Paul's at 11 am, together with our Latin American community who celebrate their 16th anniversary that day, there will be an opportunity to visit several of the Roman churches connected with S. Paul, ending up at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls for Vespers at 5 pm. The pilgrimage will be led by The Rev. Dr. R. William Franklin. There is no cost for this, but we do ask you to sign up in advance so we have an idea of the numbers, and you will need to provide your own lunch.

Top