Saint Anthony the Great: Father of Monks and His Years Among the Tombs
Saint Anthony the Great was an Egyptian Christian ascetic of the third and fourth centuries, called the Father of Monks. Saint Athanasius wrote his Life, which describes his years living among tombs. This article explains what the sources say and where the tradition goes beyond them.
Saint Macarius the Great of Egypt: Desert Father, Spiritual Guide and Priest of Scetis
Saint Macarius the Great of Egypt was a Desert Father and spiritual guide at Scetis. Read his life, the stories told of him and the homilies wrongly credited to him.
Saint Arsenius the Great: Roman Deacon, Desert Father and Teacher of Silence
Saint Arsenius the Great, a Roman deacon turned Egyptian hermit, taught silence, humility and tears. Read his life, sayings and legacy in the Eastern Churches.
Saint Bishoy: Desert Father of Scetis, Founder of the Monastery of Anba Bishoy and Beloved of Christ
Saint Bishoy was a Coptic desert father of Scetis, honored as the Perfect Man and called Paisius the Great in Byzantine usage. His monastery stands in Wadi El Natrun.
Saint Pachomius the Great: Egyptian Monk and Father of Communal Monasticism
A biography of Saint Pachomius the Great, the fourth century Egyptian founder of communal monasticism, with the Koinonia, the Rule, his death date, and what is documented and what is tradition.
Evagrius Ponticus: The Desert Monk Who Mapped the Eight Thoughts and the Road to Prayer
Biography of Evagrius Ponticus, the fourth century desert monk and spiritual writer, with his teaching on the eight thoughts and prayer, the Origenist controversy, his disputed status and what Eastern and Western Christians can learn from him.
Saint Moses the Ethiopian: From Robber Chief to Desert Father of Mercy and Humility
Biography of Saint Moses the Ethiopian, also called Moses the Black, the desert father of Scetis, with the accounts of Palladius and Sozomen, his sayings, his martyrdom tradition and his place in Eastern and Western devotion.
Saint Paul of Thebes: The First Hermit, the Raven’s Bread and the Meeting With Anthony
Biography of Saint Paul of Thebes, honored as the first Christian hermit, with the story from Saint Jerome, the meeting with Anthony the Great, the uncertainty of the sources and his place in Eastern and Western devotion.
The Desert Fathers and Mothers: Who They Were, What They Prayed, and Why It Still Matters
Discover who the Desert Fathers and Mothers were. Explore their 4th-century origins, key figures like Abba Macarius and Amma Sarah, and the foundational tradition of Christian prayer.