Saint Who?
Saints Who Founded Communities
Saint Pachomius
Abbot († 346)Feast: May 9
Around the beginning of the 4th century, as Roman persecutions began to die out, devout followers of Christ sought ways to demonstrate their love and witness to the faith without shedding their blood. The great hermit Saint Anthony blazed a trail to the desert that many followed. Among these was Pachomius, a former soldier and a convert to Christianity.
One day at prayer he received a call to help the many souls who wished for the discipline of the desert but struggled to bear the solitude. Pachomius formed the first monastic communities, consisting of houses of about forty monks each, under the guidance of a dean. The abbot was responsible for thirty to forty houses. Monks observed the liturgical hours, fasted regularly, and prayed. Each house practiced basic crafts to support itself, with rotating kitchen and sacristy assignments. According to tradition, the rule was dictated by angel, and it quotes over two thousand scriptural texts.
A gifted administrator, Pachomius successfully oversaw the foundation of twelve such monasteries: nine for men and three for women. He initially took on the bulk of the menial tasks so that his new followers could devote themselves to spiritual growth. He died in 346.
Almighty Father, through the prayers of
Saint Pachomius, show us how to live in peaceful order, with lives focused on eternity.
