St. Anthony the Great
251-356
📅 Feast Day: Jan 17
📖 Life Timeline
Unknown
Born in 251 AD, Coma, Egypt
356 AD
Died — May 17, 356 AD, Egypt
Pre-
Canonized — Pre-Tridentine
✝ Biography
Born c.251-256 AD in Coma, Egypt, to pagan parents of a wealthy landowning family. Orphaned at age 20, he sold his inheritance, gave to the poor, and retired to the desert to live as a hermit, following Christ's command to 'sell what you have and give to the poor.' Spent decades in solitary ascetic struggle, battling demons and temptations. Became the father of monasticism—his disciples formed communities around him. Emperor Constantine and Julian the Apostate both visited him in his old age. Athanasius wrote his famous Life of Anthony, which spread monasticism throughout the West. Died at age 105 on January 10, 356 AD, having predicted his own death. His relics are enshrined in the Basilica of St Anthony Abate in Rome. Patron saint of monks, the poor, and those afflicted with skin diseases.
🛡 Patronage
Patron of: Monks, hermits, beekeepers, bakers, grocers, and those suffering from erysipelas (St. Anthony's Fire).
💬 Words of the Saint
I shall go where no man has gone.
📜 Key Facts
Born
251 AD, Coma, Egypt
Died
May 17, 356 AD, Egypt
Feast Day
Jan 17
Canonized
Pre-Tridentine
🕊 Legacy
Athanasius's 'Life of Anthony' became the best-selling book of the ancient world after the Bible and launched the monastic movement. Anthony is called the 'Father of Monasticism' — his example inspired Benedict, Francis, and countless reformers.
📜 Personal Writings
Read excerpts from the saint's own words — their personal letters, spiritual writings, and teachings.
📖 Sayings of the Desert Fathers
On Prayer
An old monk said to a young man who was asking him how to be saved: 'I have three counsels for you: go away, do not contradict, and do not justify yourself.' Another said: 'Prayer is the soul's ascent to God. It is the breath of the heart, the longing of the spirit, the cry of the soul.'
— St. Anthony the Great
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