He served as pope for many years in the age of Constantine, when persecution ended and the Church gained its freedom. During his pontificate the Council of Nicaea met and great basilicas such as the Lateran were built in Rome.
Life
Saint Sylvester I led the Church of Rome from 314 to 335, just after persecution ended and Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, a time when the Church, enjoying public freedom, was growing rapidly.
During his pontificate great churches such as the Lateran Basilica and Saint Peter's Basilica were built in Rome, and the Council of Nicaea met in 325; Sylvester is said not to have attended in person but to have sent legates. The story that he baptized the emperor and the so-called Donation of Constantine are later legend and forgery. He died in 335, and the Church remembers him on December 31.
Spirituality
Pope Sylvester's spirituality is the faithfulness of a shepherd who calmly guided the Church into a new era. Amid the great shift from persecution to freedom, the Church built places of worship and articulated its faith. Even when the Church gained freedom, he bore the responsibility of keeping it faithful to the Gospel.
Reflection
Pope Sylvester led the Church through a time of great change. On this last day of the year, shall I give thanks for the graces of the past year and entrust the new year to God?