La Chiesa reggina e San Paolo

The Church in Reggio Calabria and Saint Paul           (versione in inglese)


There is a special tie between Saint Paul and the church in Reggio Calabria since the latter originated from the preaching of the Apostle, who landed in Reggio from Siracusa during his journey from Cesarea to Rome in 61 A.D. and stayed for a day as the Acts of the Apostles (28,13) state: "And from there, following the coast, we reached Regium."

We can find the inscription in the upper part of the protiro.

The column of the miracle

Saint Paul was the first to preach the Gospel and to start the first Christian community, led, afterwards, by Saint Stephen from Nicea, who was named bishop and left by the Apostle as bishop when he went to Pozzuoli.

According to an ancient tradition, Saint Paul's landing on the beach of Reggio along the seafront, where there is the "Cippo" was in the celebration day in honour of Diana Fascelide.
The story says that Saint Paul was given the permission to speak to the pagan and distracted celebrating crowd until the oil lamp which was placed on a column burn out. As soon as the lamp stopped burning a wonderful event happened. The stone column broke out in flames and continued burning and with its light Saint Paul's preaching lasted until the following morning. As we know that Saint Paul's first followers were Jewish or people from the eastern countries and the Romans regarded Christians as followers of eastern cult, we could see the story from a different prospective. Light has a symbolic meaning in the eastern tradition which, later, was handed down to the Romans. It means that it is a sign of God's revelation and the effectiveness and strength of preaching the Word of God.
The burning of the stone column, during Saint Paul's speech has also a symbolic meaning: it means that Saint Paul's words had the power of melting the hardness of the listeners' hearts. Thus, taking into consideration this symbolism, we could reinterpret what the ancient tradition has passed on to us. The passion of the Apostle's words inflamed the Brutium people's hearts converting them to Christianity.

Saint Paul is, therefore, considered the founder of the church in Reggio and father of the Christians in Calabria.
John Paul II proclaimed him the main Patron Saint of the Archdiocese of Reggio Calabria in 1980.
The liturgical memory of Saint Paul's arrival in Reggio is on the 21st May.

The remains of the column are kept in the right side chapel in the Presbitery.
On the right wall of the same chapel there is a memorial stone with a Latin inscription celebrating the wonderful event of the conversion of Regium people.

[AVE COLUMNA NOBILIS / ELECTRO ET AURIO DITIOR / ILLAQUE MOBIS IGNEA / COLUMNA FORTUNATIOR / UOD ORE PAULUS PRAEDICAT/ TE FULGURANTE COMPROBAT/ TE CONFLAGRANTE RHEGIUM / CHRISTI FIDEM COMPLECTITUR / ERGO COLUMNA RHEGIA / HEBREOS UT ISRAELITICA / IN TERRAE OPIMA TRANSTULIT / TU NOS IN ASTRA DUCITO]

Hail oh noble column brighter than amber and gold and more provident than the fìre column of Moses. What Saint Paul says through his words is confirmed by your brìghtness. Thanks to your flames Reggio embraces Christianity. So, as the Hebrew flame led the Hebrew people to the Promised Land, you, royal column, lead us to Heaven.

The miracle is depicted in many works:

* Front relief on the Pulpit
* Golden bronze lunette in the altar in the “Saint Paul Chapel”
* Bronze bas-relief on a tile of the Cathedra
* On the right Portal

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