▁— ▁abandoned ▁his ▁career , ▁was ▁bapt ized ▁as ▁a ▁Christian , ▁and ▁probably ▁after ▁Th eras ia ' s ▁death ▁became ▁bishop ▁of ▁N ola ▁in ▁Camp ania . ▁While ▁there , ▁he ▁wrote ▁po ems ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁his ▁prede cess or ▁St   F el ix ▁and ▁correspond ed ▁with ▁other ▁Christian ▁leaders ▁throughout ▁the ▁emp ire . ▁He ▁is ▁tradition ally ▁cred ited ▁with ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁b ells ▁to ▁Christian ▁worship ▁and ▁helped ▁resolve ▁the ▁disput ed ▁election ▁of ▁Pope ▁Bon if ace   I . ▁ ▁His ▁ren unci ation ▁of ▁his ▁wealth ▁and ▁station ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁an ▁asc etic ▁and ▁phil anth rop ic ▁life ▁was ▁held ▁up ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁by ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁contempor aries — including ▁  August ine , ▁Jer ome , ▁Martin , ▁and ▁Am bro se — and ▁he ▁was ▁subsequently ▁v ener ated ▁as ▁a ▁saint . ▁His ▁re lic s ▁became ▁a ▁focus ▁of ▁pil gr image , ▁but ▁were ▁removed ▁from ▁N ola ▁between ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁and ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries . ▁His ▁fe ast ▁day ▁is ▁observed ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 2 ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Orth odox ▁Church es . ▁In ▁N ola , ▁the ▁entire ▁week ▁around ▁his ▁fe ast ▁day ▁is ▁celebrated ▁as ▁the ▁Festival ▁of ▁the ▁Lil ies . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁Pont ius ▁Mer op ius ▁Paul inus ▁was ▁born ▁ ▁at ▁Bor de aux , ▁in ▁south western ▁France . ▁He ▁was