January 14 - St. Hilary

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Saint Hilary, in Latin Sancta Hilarius.  

His name comes from the Latin word for happy or cheerful.  His nickname is Malleus Arianorum, which means Hammer of the Arians.

St. Hilary was born in Poitiers of Aquitaine of a noble family.  He was celebrated for his learning and eloquence.  In 353, he was chosen as Bishop of his native town, Poitiers.

St. Hilary was a staunch defender of the Catholic faith against Arianism, for which he was exiled to Phyrgia for four years.  He wrote twelve books on the Trinity and won back the whole of Gaul from the Arian heresy.  St. Jerome testified to the perfect orthodoxy of all of Hilary's scholarly works.

Hilary spent many years as a missionary.  Wherever he went, he was discomfiting to heretics and procuring the triumph of orthodoxy.  Hilary returned to Poitiers, where died peacefully in 369.

St. Hilary was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX.


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