Saint of the Day Online - St. Paschal

Saint of the Day - Feb 11, 2017

Paschal was the son of Bonosus, a Roman. He studied at the Lateran, was named the head of St. Stephen's monastery, which housed pilgrims to Rome, and was elected Pope to succeed Pope Stephen IV (V) on the day Stephen died, January 25, 817.

Paschal built and redecorated many churches in Rome and transferred many relics from the catacombs to churches in the city. Although listed in the Roman Martyrology, he has never been formally canonized. His feast day is February 11.

According to the Liber Pontificalis, Paschal was native of Rome and son of Bonosus and Episcopa Theodora. The Liber Censuum says that Paschal was from the Massimo family, as was his predecessor Pope Stephen IV.

Paschal may have been a subdeacon, priest, and abbot of the monastery of St Stephen of the Abyssinians during the papacy of Pope Leo III. According to early modern accounts, Leo III may have elevated Paschal as the cardinal of Santa Prassede.

Goodson attributes this account to a "desire to explain the attention that the pope so lavishly and prominently paid to that church later in his career.