Paul Aurelian became influential in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. He is also known as Paulinus of Wales and, in Brittany, as Pol de Léon and he stayed for some time with his sister in Cornwall. With 12 companions he travelled from Cornwall to Brittany and founded churches there. He and his companions first landed on the isle of Ushant, off the west coast, probably founding a chapel there, before moving to the Ile de Batz off the north coast and eventually to the mainland, where he built the church later known as St. Pol de Léon. Ten Breton parishes are named after him. In Cornwall, the parish of Paul, near Penzance, is named after him, because he built a chapel there near the site of an ancient holy place, claiming it for Christ. He was the son of a British chieftain and may have been born in around 490 near Llandovery. He was a disciple of Illtyd (see November 6th) in Wales, and he became a hermit . He was known as ‘peregrinus pro Christo’ (a wanderer for Christ), one for whom ‘the coracle is on the sea.’ For some years he lived as a hermit near Llandovery and founded a monastery at Llanddeusant (meaning ‘church of two saints’, referring to Paul’s brothers). The order of the events of his life is not clear. He was 104 years old when he died on the Ile de Batz.
Lord Christ, keep us journeying for You. If, physically, we wander for love of You, keep us obedient in new and different places. If we journey for You in spirit, help us to refuse to stand still and always seek new inspiration and challenges from You. So may we be instruments in Your hand for blessing in the lives of those around us. Amen.