Pope St. Sylvester I led the Church of Rome from 314 to 335, the first years of peace after three centuries of persecution, when the emperor Constantine gave Christians freedom and the great basilicas of Rome were built. He sent legates to the Council of Nicaea in 325, which defined that Jesus is “one in being with the Father.” Because his feast falls on December 31, New Year’s Eve is still called Silvester in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and other countries. Below are his story, the legends about him, Scripture, and a prayer to St. Sylvester for the end of the year.
A short prayer for New Year’s Eve, written for this page:
Lord, as this year ends, I thank you for every blessing it brought,
I ask your mercy for my sins, and I place the new year in your hands.
Through the prayers of St. Sylvester, keep me faithful in the year to come. Amen.
Who was Pope St. Sylvester I?
Sylvester, a Roman priest, was elected bishop of Rome on January 31, 314, the year after the Edict of Milan had given the Church freedom. His long pontificate saw the transformation of the Church from a persecuted community into a public institution. The emperor Constantine gave the Lateran palace to the popes and built the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the first St. Peter’s over the apostle’s tomb, and other churches in Rome and the Holy Land. See the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica.
When Arius denied the divinity of Christ, Constantine summoned the first ecumenical council at Nicaea in 325. Sylvester, too old to travel, sent two priests as his legates, and approved the council’s Creed. See the Nicene Creed. He died on December 31, 335, and was buried in the Catacomb of Priscilla.
Legends about St. Sylvester
Later legends made Sylvester the hero of Constantine’s conversion, saying that he cured the emperor of leprosy and baptized him in Rome; in fact Constantine was baptized only on his deathbed in 337. A forged document of the eighth century, the “Donation of Constantine,” claimed that the emperor gave Sylvester authority over the western empire; it was shown to be a forgery in the fifteenth century. The real Sylvester is remembered for guiding the Church wisely through a time of sudden freedom and growth.
Scripture
The words St. Paul wrote to St. Timothy, read in the traditional Mass of St. Sylvester (2 Timothy 4:1–2, Douay-Rheims):
I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom:
Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.
New Year’s Eve, “Silvester”
Because the old year ends on his feast, Catholics in Central Europe call New Year’s Eve Silvesterabend or simply Silvester, and in Poland Sylwester. Many Catholics attend a Mass or a holy hour of thanksgiving on December 31, and the traditional hymn of thanksgiving, the Te Deum, is sung in many churches at the end of the year. The next day is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
Feast day
The optional memorial of Pope St. Sylvester I is December 31, within the Octave of Christmas.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Pope St. Sylvester I?
The bishop of Rome from 314 to 335, during the reign of Constantine and the Council of Nicaea.
Why is New Year’s Eve called Silvester?
Because December 31 is the feast of Pope St. Sylvester I.
Did Pope Sylvester baptize Constantine?
No. That is a later legend; Constantine was baptized near the end of his life in 337.
More pages
- Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
- Nicene Creed
- Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
- St. Helena
- Prayer for the Pope
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- 2 Timothy 4:1–2 (Douay-Rheims).
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “Pope St. Sylvester I,” public domain (Wikisource).