Saint Felix of Nola

Berkeley, Monday, January 5, 2026 2:38 AM

Feast day: January 14

Saints whose feast is on that day:

Saint Gregory Nazianzen

St. Felix of Nola, Priest

This is according to Franciscan Media and Vatican News.

From the sources above, only a biography from Saint Gregory Nazianzen is available at Franciscan media.

I will do the novena in honor to him, and asking for his intercession to the Lord.

Check also his bio, or both bios in the book Lives of the Saints.

…

Ok. Accepted to do the Novena to Saint Felix of Nola. Because his biography is also available in the book Lives of the Saints, while I did not find there Saint Gregory’s life. At least when I searched.

I also have one or tow ancestros named Felix.

Novena:

Day 1. Jan 6. St. Felix was a native of Nola. Nola was a Roman colony in Campania, fourteen miles from Naples. The name of his father was Hermias. His father was born in Syria. He served to the army. He bought a real estate at Nola and settled down there. He had a younger brother, named Hermias. He also went to the army. Felix, which means happy, decided to give most of his inheritance to the poor (where). He decided to follow Jesus Christ. King of kings. He was ordained priest by St. Maximus, Bishop of Nola. St Maximus was a virtuous and prudent man. He had St. Felix as his right hand, and look upon him to become his successor [That might not had happened]… To be continued (Butler, 1963 p. 80)

Day 2. Jan 7. St. Felix of Nola.

Day 3. Jan 8. St. Felix of Nola.

Day 4. Jan 9. St. Felix of Nola.

Day 5. Jan 10. St. Felix of Nola.

Day 6. Jan 11. St. Felix of Nola.

Day 7. Jan 12. St. Felix of Nola.

Day 8. Jan 13. St. Felix of Nola. Apologies St. Felix of Nola. I have not written neither read that much yet about you. I will catch up. Pray for us. Every task requires discipline and dedication.

Day 9. Jan 14. St. Felix of Nola. Feast day.

Happy feast day Saint Felix of Nola. And pray for us.

My understanding is that he was a good student and follower of Saint Maximus (?). If so, clearly a Saint can make or show the way of at least another saint. There has been several cases throughout history.

Saint Felix become a bishop, after Saint Maximus exile, I believe. Well it seems that there some document persecution of catholics at that time, as probably has been in another times including the XX century. I am not sure about the XXI century.

Once one commits to a task, it might be important that follows through to its completion.

I do understand that it is not realistically possible in my life, and probably to most of the people, to read thoroughly about a Saint’s life during nine days. Definitely one needs a longer time to study or learn or pray for the intersession of a saint.

Now, is this a good practice. Yes. I am happy of continue this practice of learning about a saint briefly for nine days during my life time. And of a few a them to read about their lives in parallel, either for a devotional charisma, or for any reasons might happen at some point.

There is always the risk of not diving into a reading or life deeper. It has the risk of not being able to understand for seen a surface or emit a verdict or judgement early. That in general in life.

But the Lord is the source of wisdom.

Apologies St. Felix. I learned briefly about you. But not as I should.

Pray, so I can understand Thy Will. And also, His Will Happens.

Continuos learning should happen in this life.

It is not about numbers, necessarily. But about understanding.

On January 15 starts a new one.

But what are the key questions?

That is probably what is missing in this story of Saint Felix of Nola.

I learned from MM that he had an experience with a spider web? But what are the details or meaning?

It seems, unless that I am wrong, he remembered the martyred and persecuted of his time, or did something about when he was a Bishop at Nola, after St. Maximus.

I end up the novena with several unknowns. That is the not necessarily sad part, because I learned about Saint Felix, and I learned about the community of Nola, which is not far from Naples, according to my memory, when I looked up. Was he a wise man, who looked up.

OK. Well I read something else form the great encyclopedia, New Advent. Link is below.

I learned a bit about the spider web. About an angel apparition to him, so he can hel Saint Maximus.

There are five churches in his honor in Nola.

There have been since, probably, the third or fourth century several pilgrimages to his tomb, or to those churches, or to see his relics.

St. Paulinus of Nola looked after him or after his relics, or took care of those churches. I do not know the story well. I believe that St. Paulinus of Nola lived or was alive about a century after of Saint Felix of Nola death.

St. Felix passed away on January 14, somewhen in the third century.

I learned a bit more. St. Felix. A good evening. And please pray for us.

Sources:

Thurston, Herbert S.J. and Donald Attwater. 1963 Butler’s Lives of the Saint. Complete Edition. Edited, revised and supplemented by Herbert Thurston, S.J. and Donald Attwater. PJ Kenedy & Sons. New York.

https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06033b.htm