Saint Anthony the Great
Saint Anthony the Great (born c. 251 AD in Heracleopolis Magna, Egypt; died January 17, 356 AD in Mount Colzim, Egypt) was an Egyptian Christian monk and the "Father of All Monks" — the founder of Christian monasticism and the desert father tradition. His life, written by Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, shaped Christian ascetical practice for all subsequent centuries. He is the patron of those afflicted with skin diseases and of farmers. His feast day is January 17.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Anthony the Great
| Saint Anthony the Great | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 17 |
| Profession | Egyptian Christian monk; hermit; Father of Monks; founder of the eremitic monastic tradition; abbott of a loosely organized community of desert hermits; friend and inspiration of Saint Athanasius |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Coptic Orthodox Church (major feast); Eastern Orthodox Church (great feast); Eastern Catholic Churches; all monastic orders (as founder of monasticism); Oriental Orthodoxy; desert father tradition |
| Patronage | Those afflicted with skin diseases and eczema; Saint Anthony's fire (ergotism); amputees (limb loss from ergotism); monks; hermits; butchers; farmers (his feast falls in mid-winter, close to the agricultural new year); gravediggers; swineherds (his iconographic pig); basket-weavers |
| Attributes | Tau cross (T-shaped cross, his emblem); a pig (possibly from the Antonine monks who cared for ergotism patients and were allowed to keep pigs); flames (Saint Anthony's fire/ergotism); a bell; a book; long white beard; desert landscape; demonic figures (his temptations); raven (his meeting with Paul the Hermit) |
| Birthplace | Heracleopolis Magna (near Beni Suef), Egypt |
| Death Place | Mount Colzim (Deir Mar Antonios), Eastern Desert, Egypt |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died January 17, 356 AD, at his hermitage on Mount Colzim (modern Deir Mar Antonios) in the Eastern Desert of Egypt; he was reportedly 105 years old; according to Saint Athanasius of Alexandria (who wrote his life), Anthony died in full possession of his faculties, with clear vision and sound teeth; he requested that his burial place be kept secret to prevent the veneration of his body (his disciples buried him secretly as he requested); his body was reportedly discovered c. 561 AD and translated to Alexandria, then to Constantinople, then (in the 11th century) to La Motte-Saint-Didier in France (now Saint-Antoine-l'Abbaye), where it became a major pilgrimage site |
| Primary Shrine | Deir Mar Antonios (Monastery of Saint Anthony), Eastern Desert, Egypt — the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery in the world; his cave hermitage; major Coptic pilgrimage |
| Liturgical Class | Memorial (Roman Rite); January 17; major feast in Eastern Church; Coptic feast January 22 |
| Historic Class | Double of the Second Class (January 17) in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Anthony was born c. 251 AD near Heracleopolis in Egypt to Coptic Christian parents. At age 20, after his parents died, he heard in church the Gospel passage "Go, sell all you have, give it to the poor, and follow me" — and obeyed literally. He gave away his property, entrusted his sister to a community of virgins, and went to live with a local ascetic.
He gradually moved further into the desert, spending twenty years in solitary combat with demonic temptations. His disciples described his emergence from isolation c. 305 AD as that of a man "initiated into divine mysteries" — spiritually transformed by his desert years.
He organized loosely gathered disciples while remaining a hermit himself. He visited Alexandria twice — c. 311 AD to support persecuted Christians, and c. 352 AD to support Saint Athanasius against Arianism.
His friend and biographer Athanasius wrote his Life c. 357 AD, immediately after Anthony's death. The work was translated throughout the Christian world within decades and became the foundational text of Christian monasticism.
He died January 17, 356 AD, at his cave on Mount Colzim at the reported age of 105.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Heracleopolis Magna (near Beni Suef), Egypt
Death location: Mount Colzim (Deir Mar Antonios), Eastern Desert, Egypt
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Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Anthony the Great have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| Journey into the Life of Saint Anthony the Great: Stories of the Saints | Under 5 minutes | Christian Channel |
| The Inspiring Story of Saint Anthony the Great | Father of Christian Monasticism | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| The Life of Saint Anthony the Great | A Powerful Story of Faith, Sacrifice, and Holiness | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
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No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Deir Mar Antonios (Monastery of Saint Anthony), Eastern Desert, Egypt — the oldest Christian monastery in continuous use; his cave hermitage.
- Saint-Antoine-l'Abbaye, Dauphiné, France — Western pilgrimage site with his relics.
Feast day
January 17
Veneration
Saint Anthony the Great is the Father of All Monks — the founder of Christian monasticism. His life (written by Saint Athanasius) shaped Christian ascetical practice for 1,700 years. His temptations in the desert became one of Western art's great themes. He died at 105 in the Egyptian desert. Feast January 17.
Prayers
Authored
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Intercessory
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