St Pachomius
Celebrated on May 9th
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Saint Pachomius was born in 292 in Thebes (Luxor, Egypt) to pagan parents. According to his hagiography, at 21, he was swept up against his will in a Roman army recruitment drive .
With several other youths, he was put onto a ship that floated down the Nile river and arrived at Thebes . Here he first encountered local Christians, who customarily brought food and comfort daily to the forcibly conscripted troops. This made a lasting impression on him .
He was able to leave the army , was converted and baptised. Pachomius then came into contact with several well known ascetics and was guided by the hermit named Palaemon.
After studying seven years with Palaemon, Pachomius set out to lead the life of a hermit near St Anthony of Egypt, whose practices he imitated until he heard a voice in Tabennisi that told him to build a dwelling for the hermits to come to.
An earlier ascetic named Macarius had created a number of proto-monasteries called lavra, or cells where holy men would live in a community setting who were physically or mentally unable to achieve the rigors of Anthony’s solitary life.
Pachomius established his first monastery between 318 and 323 at Tabennisi in Egypt. His elder brother John joined him, and soon more than 100 monks lived nearby. Pachomius set about organizing these cells into a formal organization. Until then, Christian asceticism had been solitary or eremitic- male or female monastics lived in individual huts or caves and met only for occasional worship services.
Pachomius created the community or cenobitic organization, in which male or female monastics lived together and held their property in common under the leadership of an abbot or abbess.
The community greeted Pachomius as ‘Abba’ (father), from which the word ‘Abbot’ derives.
The monastery at Tabennisi, though enlarged several times, soon became too small and a second was founded at Pabau. After 336, Pachomius spent most of his time at Pabau. Though Pachomius sometimes acted as lector for nearby shepherds, neither he nor any of his monks became priests.
St Athanasius visited and wished to ordain him in 333, but Pachomius fled from him. Athanasius’ visit was probably a result of Pachomius’ zealous defence of orthodoxy against Arianism
During an epidemic, Pachomius called the monks, strengthened their faith, and appointed his successor. He died on 9 May 345. By the time Pachomius died eight monasteries and several hundred monks followed his guidance. Within a generation, cenobic practices spread from Egypt to Palestine and the Judean Desert, Syria, North Africa and eventually Western Europe. The number of monks, may have reached 7000. His reputation as a holy man has endured.
Among many miracles attributed to Pachomius, that though he had never learned the Greek or Latin tongues, he sometimes miraculously spoke them. Pachomius is also credited with being the first Christian to use and recommend use of a prayer rope.
(from ICN)
Celebrated on May 9th
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
Saint Pachomius was born in 292 in Thebes (Luxor, Egypt) to pagan parents. According to his hagiography, at 21, he was swept up against his will in a Roman army recruitment drive .
With several other youths, he was put onto a ship that floated down the Nile river and arrived at Thebes . Here he first encountered local Christians, who customarily brought food and comfort daily to the forcibly conscripted troops. This made a lasting impression on him .
He was able to leave the army , was converted and baptised. Pachomius then came into contact with several well known ascetics and was guided by the hermit named Palaemon.
After studying seven years with Palaemon, Pachomius set out to lead the life of a hermit near St Anthony of Egypt, whose practices he imitated until he heard a voice in Tabennisi that told him to build a dwelling for the hermits to come to.
An earlier ascetic named Macarius had created a number of proto-monasteries called lavra, or cells where holy men would live in a community setting who were physically or mentally unable to achieve the rigors of Anthony’s solitary life.
Pachomius established his first monastery between 318 and 323 at Tabennisi in Egypt. His elder brother John joined him, and soon more than 100 monks lived nearby. Pachomius set about organizing these cells into a formal organization. Until then, Christian asceticism had been solitary or eremitic- male or female monastics lived in individual huts or caves and met only for occasional worship services.
Pachomius created the community or cenobitic organization, in which male or female monastics lived together and held their property in common under the leadership of an abbot or abbess.
The community greeted Pachomius as ‘Abba’ (father), from which the word ‘Abbot’ derives.
The monastery at Tabennisi, though enlarged several times, soon became too small and a second was founded at Pabau. After 336, Pachomius spent most of his time at Pabau. Though Pachomius sometimes acted as lector for nearby shepherds, neither he nor any of his monks became priests.
St Athanasius visited and wished to ordain him in 333, but Pachomius fled from him. Athanasius’ visit was probably a result of Pachomius’ zealous defence of orthodoxy against Arianism
During an epidemic, Pachomius called the monks, strengthened their faith, and appointed his successor. He died on 9 May 345. By the time Pachomius died eight monasteries and several hundred monks followed his guidance. Within a generation, cenobic practices spread from Egypt to Palestine and the Judean Desert, Syria, North Africa and eventually Western Europe. The number of monks, may have reached 7000. His reputation as a holy man has endured.
Among many miracles attributed to Pachomius, that though he had never learned the Greek or Latin tongues, he sometimes miraculously spoke them. Pachomius is also credited with being the first Christian to use and recommend use of a prayer rope.
(from ICN)