St. Paul the Apostle - Catedral da Sé - São Paulo, SP
Posted by: 
The Snowdog
S 23° 33.085 W 046° 38.072
23K E 333163 N 7394485
This colorful statue of St. Paul, who was executed for his beliefs, is in the Catedral da Sé - in São Paulo, São Paulo.
Waymark Code: WM16TV4
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Date Posted: 10/05/2022
Views: 2
As one might imagine, depictions of St. Paul are commonplace in São Paulo and in the cathedral that bears his name. This colorful life-sized statue is at the front right of the cathedral, set on a tall pedestal. St. Paul is depicted with a scroll in his left hand, and stroking his beard with the other. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, taken to Rome, tried, and then executed for his beliefs, possibly during the last year of the rule of Emperor Nero, and possibly alongside St. Peter.
The plaque on the statue is in Portuguese; a translation to English is:
Saint Paul the Apostle
St. Paul, patron of our Archdiocese, disciple and missionary of Jesus Christ: teach us to accept the word of God and open our eyes to the truth of the Gospel. Lead us to an encounter with Jesus, infect us with the faith that animated you, and instill in us courage and the ardor of a missionary, to witness to all that God dwells in this immense city and has love for all people! Intercede for us and the Church of St. Paul, O Holy Apostle of Jesus Christ! Amen.
Paul the Apostle was a
Pharisee (then named Saul) who was engaged in persecution of early disciples of
Jesus Christ until he encountered the
spirit of Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. Now using his Greek name, Paul, he then devoted his life to spreading the Gospel. Fourteen of the twenty-seven books in the
New Testament are attributed to Paul. Generally regarded as one of the most important figures of the
Apostolic Age, he founded several Christian communities in Asia Minor and Europe from the mid-40s to the mid-50s AD. Paul was eventually arrested, taken to Rome, tried, and executed, possibly alongside
St. Peter.