Saint Pachomius the Great
Saint Pachomius the Great
(Commemoration: 14 Bashans – 22 May 81)
His Upbringing:
Saint Pachomius is the father of the cenobitic life, meaning the founder of communal monastic life and the one who established its rules and systems. His rules were later transferred to the monasteries of Saint Basil the Great in Cappadocia, and John Cassian adopted them, and they became the foundation for the Benedictine monasteries in the West.
This saint was born to pagan parents. It is said that he was born around the year 290 A.D. in a town near Esna, possibly Qasr al-Sayyad or nearby.
His Conversion to Christianity and Monasticism:
His heart longed for God, and he was not at peace with pagan worship. God responded to his longing. He joined the army in the year 310 A.D. His unit passed through a Coptic village, and the Christians honored them greatly. He admired their religion. When his military service ended, he asked to become a Christian. It is said that he was baptized by Anba Serapion, Bishop of Dendera, in the year 314 A.D. He was impressed by the life of asceticism and became a disciple of a devout ascetic named Anba Palamon, who clothed him with the monastic habit and trained him in the ascetic life for seven years, after which he lived in solitude.
His Establishment of Monasteries:
The first monastery he founded was in Tabennesi (near Dendera) and was called the Monastery of Tabennesi (Dunasa). He set precise rules for it concerning prayers, work, obedience, order, and service, drawing on his military experience. After that, he founded a monastery in Edfu (Pabo) and made it his center (the main monastery). He also founded other monasteries—some say nine, others say seventeen (some of which may have been Pachomian monasteries not founded during his lifetime). He appointed for each monastery a head and a steward, along with the other necessary positions.
The saint also founded a monastery for nuns. Mary, his sister, was the first nun to join it, and he appointed a venerable elder to guide the nuns. His brother John also joined the monastic life, and Pachomius cultivated meekness within him.
A Note on His Monastic System:
Every monk had work within the monastery, and the monks avoided positions outside it. They were also distant from the ranks of priesthood. Saint Pachomius would request some priests from nearby villages to perform the liturgies and religious services. He himself fled from being ordained a priest when Saint Athanasius proposed it. Saint Pachomius refused for his monasteries to own properties or endowments.
The Saint’s Virtues:
Saint Pachomius was known for his firmness, as well as his gentleness, strict asceticism, abundant prayer and tears, and his equality with the other monks in work and in adherence to the rules. He was an example for them in everything. He was humble and did not seek to perform miracles.
His Disciples:
Saint Pachomius departed in the year 348 A.D. He was succeeded by Saint Petronius, then Saint Horsiesius, then Saint Theodore, who was the most famous and holiest of Saint Pachomius’ disciples. Among his disciples were also Silwanus, Cornelius, Sanamon, and others. Their blessings be with us. Amen.
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