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Home , Doctor of the Church, Hilary of Poitiers

StSt HilaryHilary ofof PoitiersPoitiers Feast day - 13th January

St Hilary of St (also known by his Roman name of Hilarius) was born at Poitiers, in , around the year 315. France was then called ‘’ and was part of the still powerful Roman Empire. Hilary grew up in a prominent pagan family (who did not know about ). Hilary led a joyful life: he married and had children. He studied and began to believe in . When Hilary discovered the Bible and read St John’s , he became a believer in Jesus and was baptised.

About the year 350, the people elected Hilary as of Poitiers. He wrote a commentary on St Matthew’s Gospel. Hilary believed that Jesus was fully God, but some other people (the ‘Arians’) did not believe this, and neither did Constantius, the Roman Emperor at that time. Emperor Constantius tried to make everyone in the Roman Empire agree with the Arians, that Jesus was not fully God. Some allowed this, but Hilary led resistance to the Emperor’s false ideas. The Emperor was cross with Hilary, and sent him away in exile to the East: to Asia Minor (modern Turkey).

Whilst in exile, Hilary studied Greek language and , and wrote a book about the (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). He also heard hymns about God, and began to write some himself. Whilst in the East, Hilary’s joyful teaching became well known and persuaded pagan people to believe.

After four years in exile in the East, Hilary was sent back to Gaul (France), where he continued to support the idea of Jesus fully God and part of the Holy Trinity. Hilary studied the Scriptures and wrote about them. He was the first person in the West to explain that God is infinite in his creativity; that Jesus, God’s Son, is Beauty in God’s image; and that the Spirit is God’s grace, God’s Joy.

Emperor Constantius died in the year 361, and Hilary died in 367. He was proclaimed a of the Church in 1851 by Pius IX.

The name ‘Hilary’ comes from the word meaning ‘happy/cheerful’. We celebrate the feast day of St Hilary of Poitiers on January 13th. In English Law Courts, and at Oxford and Durham Universities, the Spring term (beginning around that day) is called “Hilary term”.