What if the greatest contribution you could make to the Church was simply to open your front door? That is essentially what one first-century married couple did — and the ripple effects of their generosity are still being felt two thousand years later.
Sts. Aquila and Priscilla are among the most fascinating figures in the New Testament, not because they performed dramatic miracles or wrote theological treatises, but because they loved God, loved each other, and loved the community around them with a practical, self-sacrificing devotion that the early Church desperately needed. Their feast day, celebrated every year on July 8, is a quiet but powerful reminder that marriage itself is a holy vocation — one capable of changing the world.
Who Were Aquila and Priscilla?
Aquila was a Jewish man from the region of Pontus, on the southern coast of the Black Sea. He and his wife Priscilla had been living in Rome when the Emperor Claudius issued an edict expelling all Jews from the city — a historically documented event that scholars date to around 49 AD. This forced displacement brought the couple to Corinth, where God, as He so often does, used a difficult circumstance to orchestrate a divine appointment.
It was in Corinth that they first encountered St. Paul. As the Acts of the Apostles records: “After this he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome… and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them, and they worked, for by trade they were tentmakers.” (Acts 18:1–3)
What a beautifully ordinary beginning — a shared trade, a shared roof, and a shared faith that would become the foundation of something extraordinary. Paul did not just work alongside them; he lived with them, and together their home became a hub of early Christian mission.
A Home That Became a Church
In the ancient world, there were no church buildings as we know them today. The earliest Christian communities gathered in private homes, and those homes became what we now lovingly call domestic churches — the family as the first school of faith. Aquila and Priscilla understood this calling instinctively and embraced it wholeheartedly.
St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians gives us a glimpse of just how central their household had become: “Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 16:19). The phrase “the church in their house” is not a throwaway detail. It tells us that their marriage was not merely a private arrangement — it was a public act of faith, a living sign of the Kingdom of God planted right in the middle of everyday life.
This is an inspiration that remains relevant for every Catholic family today. The saints of our faith come in every vocation — and Aquila and Priscilla remind us that a faithful marriage, centered on Christ, is itself a form of evangelism.
Teachers, Protectors, and Collaborators
One of the most remarkable stories involving this couple concerns a gifted preacher named Apollos. He had arrived in Ephesus, eloquent and zealous, and began boldly proclaiming the faith in the synagogue. But something was missing — his understanding of the Gospel was incomplete. Rather than publicly humiliating him or dismissing him, Aquila and Priscilla took him aside privately and “expounded to him the way of God more accurately.” (Acts 18:26)
This episode reveals so much about the character of this couple. They were not merely passive hosts — they were active, theologically informed disciples who exercised genuine spiritual leadership. And they did so together. Notice that both names appear: Priscilla and Aquila. Wherever they are mentioned in Scripture, they are always side by side, always partners. Their unity in marriage was reflected in their unity of mission.
The Roman Martyrology, the Church’s official record of saints, summarises their witness beautifully on their feast day: they were collaborators of Saint Paul who welcomed the Church into their home and risked their own lives to save the Apostle. We do not know the exact details of how they protected Paul, but the fact that it is recorded tells us it was no small thing. They were willing to lay down their lives for their brother in faith.
What Aquila and Priscilla Mean for Married Catholics Today
It is easy, sometimes, to feel that marriage and family life are somehow less spiritually significant than celibate religious life. Aquila and Priscilla quietly demolish that notion. Their marriage was not an obstacle to holiness — it was the very vessel through which God chose to do extraordinary things.
Their example calls every Catholic couple to ask: Is our home a place of welcome? Do we make space for the community of faith around us? Are we willing to correct with charity, teach with humility, and protect with courage?
Incorporating regular Catholic prayers into your daily family life — morning prayer, grace before meals, evening reflection — is one of the most practical ways to begin building that kind of domestic church that Aquila and Priscilla embodied so powerfully.
As you journey through the month of July, take a moment on the 8th to honour these two saints. Ask for their intercession over your marriage, your family, your home. They know what it is like to be displaced, to take risks, to open their door to the unknown — and they found God in all of it.
A Closing Prayer for Married Couples
Lord Jesus, You blessed the home of Aquila and Priscilla and made it a place of worship, welcome, and mission. Bless our homes and our marriages in the same way. May we, like them, serve one another faithfully, welcome the stranger generously, and never count the cost when it comes to protecting those You have placed in our care. Sts. Aquila and Priscilla, pray for us. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the feast day of Sts. Aquila and Priscilla?
The feast day of Sts. Aquila and Priscilla is celebrated on July 8 in the Roman Catholic Church. They are commemorated together in the Roman Martyrology as spouses and collaborators of St. Paul.
Are Aquila and Priscilla mentioned in the Bible?
Yes, Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned multiple times in the New Testament, including in Acts 18, Romans 16:3, 1 Corinthians 16:19, and 2 Timothy 4:19. They are consistently named together as a couple and as co-workers with St. Paul.
