By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic
In keeping with traditional art of saints, Paul holds the sword with which he was martyred.
Bell tower stands as the centerpiece of the campus at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. It was dedicated in 1989 for the 2,000th anniversary of Mary's birthday.
At the foot of the bell tower at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point is a shrine for Our Lady of Knock, commemorating an apparition of Mary in Ireland in 1879. A prayer to Our Lady of Knock is beneath the image.
Wood and stone combine in the nave at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. Also visible are some of the pipes of the church organ.
Dramatic lighting throws Jesus' face into shadow in the main crucifix at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point.
Wheat and grapes surround a chalice and Host on the front doors of the Tabernacle at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. The Tabernacle is used to store the consecrated Host.
Leonardo Da Vinci's painting The Last Supper is rendered in wood beneath the altar at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point.
Scenes from Paul's life fill a floor-to-ceiling window at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. They include the light that blinded him, his reading of one of his 13 epistles in the Bible, and his martyrdom by beheading.
Some of Jesus disciples relax after a day of fishing in this window at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. They may appear distracted, but they're actually directing attention toward the pulpit and altar.
Some of Jesus disciples secure their boat after a day of fishing in this window at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. They may appear distracted, but they're actually directing attention toward the pulpit and altar.
Jesus holds the Last Supper with his disciples in this banner at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point.
Jesus, depicted as a lamb, holds a flag of victory a in this banner at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point.
Seashells, standing for pilgrimage, symbolize St. James the Greater in this window at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point.
A cup with a serpent symbolizes St. John in this window at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. A legend says his enemies tried - and failed - to poison him.
A spear and a carpenter's square stand for St. Thomas in this window at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. Church tradition says that Thomas built a palace for an Indian king, and that he was martyred with a spear.
Even Judas is represented symbolically in a window at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. Thirty pieces of silver, his fee for betraying Jesus, arch over a "J." The letter is made with the rope Judas used to hang himself.
Chapel window depicts symbols for the seven sacraments at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. Clockwise from lower left, the symbols are a shell for Baptism, a dove for Conformation, keys for Reconciliation, bread and a chalice for the Eucharist, a cross and linked rings for Matrimony, a chrismarium for Anointing, and a stole for Holy Orders.
Three symbols - including a triangle and interlocking circles - illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity in the sacristy at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. The three objects include a hand for God the Father, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and a dove for God the Holy Spirit.
Delicate lines and subtle colors mark this alabaster figurine of the Holy Family. The artwork is in the office at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point.
Photography: Jim Davis
LIGHTHOUSE POINT | January 25 marks the feast of the conversion of St. Paul – one of the Church’s great enemies, who became one of its greatest champions.
Paul spread the Gospel in cities far beyond the Holy Land, aided by a corps of hand-picked missionaries. Through his letters, he contributed much of the New Testament. And because Jesus personally called him, he is sometimes considered the 13th apostle.
Just by background and upbringing, it would be hard to pick someone better than Saul, his Jewish name. Born in the Roman province of Cilicia, he got both a Greek and Jewish education. So he was at home in all three cultures: Greek, Jewish and Roman.
His religious leanings, though, were another matter. A self-described Pharisaic zealot, he joined the campaign as a young man to crush Christianity. He watched approvingly as a mob stoned St. Stephen in Jerusalem, then himself had Christians jailed. He then set out to do the same in Damascus.
Photographer: Jim Davis | FC
Scenes from Paul's life fill a floor-to-ceiling window at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. They include the light that blinded him, his reading of one of his 13 epistles in the Bible, and his martyrdom by beheading.
En route, however, he was struck by a blinding light. He then heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” The speaker identified himself as Jesus and told Saul to continue to Damascus, where a believer laid hands on him. As Acts 9:17-18 testifies, he regained his sight and was baptized.
Preaching as Paulos – a Greek name meaning “small” or “humble” – he stayed for three years in Damascus, shocking listeners by siding with those he had once attacked. When death threats circulated, however, his allies helped him escape and return to Jerusalem.
THREATS, SUSPICION
It took awhile for believers there to accept their former nemesis, but Barnabas, a supporter of the Church, vouched for him. Paul preached around Jerusalem until death threats sent him away again. He returned to Cilicia, then preached around Syria.
Their first big success was Antioch, where, according to Acts, the disciples were first called Christians. For more than two decades, Paul and fellow missionaries – including Luke, Silas, Titus and Barnabas – traveled throughout Greek and Roman regions, founding church communities.
Not that it was a smooth road. Paul was jailed at least three times and flogged five times. Once he was stoned outside a city and left for dead – then recovered and walked back. During a voyage, his ship ran aground at Malta. There he was bitten by a venomous snake without suffering harm, to observers’ amazement.
On his final visit to Jerusalem, he was arrested once more. He was held for two years in Caesarea, then shipped to Rome for a hearing with the emperor. He lived under house arrest for two years there, teaching and writing the last of his epistles. He was then condemned and beheaded, then buried where the Basilica of Paul-Outside-the-Walls now stands.
ALL ARE INVITED
Paul’s most lasting influence is in his 13 New Testament letters. Known as the Church’s first great theologian, he eloquently set out the apostolic message of grace through faith.
Photographer: Jim Davis | FC
Wheat and grapes surround a chalice and Host on the front doors of the Tabernacle at St. Paul Church in Lighthouse Point. The Tabernacle is used to store the consecrated Host.
Although Jesus had come as the Jewish Messiah, Paul said, salvation was now open to all people. Having paid the penalty of sin and death, Jesus offered eternal life to everyone who would accept it.
No longer were the rituals of Jewish law necessary, according to Paul – only faith in Jesus and following him. And more: Believers can call God their personal Father and be empowered to live in a way that pleases him. They can also join with fellow Christians in a universal community.
Paul’s words have echoed throughout history, in the writings of great thinkers like saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. Protestant leaders, too – including John Calvin and Martin Luther – have centered their teachings on his letters.
The Church sets June 29 to honor the martyrdom not only of St. Paul, but of St. Peter as well.
“Peter represents the institutional church, while Paul represents the charismatic or spiritual church,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Both men, the USCCB adds, were “utterly seized by Jesus’ message.”
BEANS AND PEPPERS
In South Florida, the church named for Paul was born amid former bean and pepper fields north of Pompano Beach. In 1964, founding Bishop Coleman F. Carroll carved a new parish out of land from five other parishes.
The church building was dedicated in 1971, with a bell tower following in 1988 and a 59-rank pipe organ in 1992. The congregation formed men's and women's clubs, raising funds for the various projects.
Parish outreaches include chapters of Respect Life and the St. Vincent De Paul Society. Members also make sandwiches and bring them to the church to give to the homeless.
Other groups include Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Sea Scouts; Knights of Columbus and Legion of Mary; a Council of Catholic Women; and men's and women's rosary groups.
