St. Anthony of Egypt
Jan 17, 2021
Patron Saint of Gravediggers, Butchers, and Skin Diseases
Wishing to leave all to follow Christ, St. Anthony distributed his holdings among the poor, and retired to a life of solitude. He lived a life of mortification.
At fifty-four, being sought out by men who wanted to follow his way of life, Anthony founded his first monastery in Fayum in a series of scattered caves, which he visited occasionally.
*Header image: Saint Anthony of Egypt driving away devils. Drawing by Grégoire Huret (1606–1670).