St. Paul

Saint Paul was one of the great missionaries and martyrs of the early church. His letters, or epistles, form a central part of the New Testament. He was born with the name Saul, the son of Jewish parents who were Roman citizens. Commissioned by the Roman army to persecute the early Christians, he was blinded by a great light from heaven while carrying out these orders. Upon his recovery, he converted to Christianity and was baptized with the name Paul. For this, he was later arrested by the Romans, imprisoned, and martyred by beheading.