Saint Heliodorus
Saint Heliodorus (born c. 332 AD in Dalmatia, modern Croatia; died c. 407 AD in Altino, Veneto, Italy) was a close friend of Saint Jerome, a soldier who gave up military life to pursue an ascetic monastic vocation, and eventually became Bishop of Altino in northern Italy. He is remembered especially for his friendship with Jerome, who wrote him a famous long letter (Epistle 14) urging him to abandon the world and return to the desert after Heliodorus had left Jerome's hermitage. His feast day is July 3.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Heliodorus
| Saint Heliodorus | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | July 03 |
| Profession | Soldier; monk; bishop |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Bishop of Altino; friend of Saint Jerome; associated with the Aquileian church |
| Patronage | Altino; Venice area; those who struggle between the active and contemplative life; former soldiers turned monks |
| Attributes | Bishop's vestments; scroll (Jerome's letter); soldier converted; desert hermit |
| Birthplace | Dalmatia (modern Croatia) |
| Death Place | Altino, Veneto, Italy (near modern Venice) |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died as Bishop of Altino c. 407 AD |
| Primary Shrine | Altino (Altinum), Veneto, Italy — his episcopal see; local veneration; part of the heritage of the church that eventually became the Patriarchate of Venice |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman Calendar; feast July 3; observed in Diocese of Vittorio Veneto and northeastern Italy |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar; locally observed |
Biography
Heliodorus was born around 332 in Dalmatia (modern Croatia) and served as a soldier in the Roman army. He later embraced Christianity and was drawn to the ascetic movement. Around 373–374 AD he joined his close friend Saint Jerome in the Desert of Chalcis near Antioch in Syria, where Jerome had gone to live as a hermit.
After some time in the desert, Heliodorus left and returned to the West. Jerome — who felt this as a near-abandonment — wrote him the famous Epistle 14 (To Heliodorus, Monk), a passionate rhetorical appeal urging him to return to the desert life: What are you doing in your father's house, O softly nurtured soldier? The letter, despite its reproachful tone, is one of Jerome's masterworks of Latin prose and became one of the most celebrated texts on monastic renunciation in the medieval Church.
Heliodorus did not return to Jerome's desert. Instead he was ordained and eventually became Bishop of Altino, a prosperous Roman city near what is now Venice in northeastern Italy. He governed this see ably and maintained his friendship with Jerome through correspondence. Jerome dedicated his commentary on the Prophet Micah to him.
He died around 407 AD. He is venerated as a confessor-bishop in northeastern Italy.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Dalmatia (modern Croatia)
Death location: Altino, Veneto, Italy (near modern Venice)
Notable location:
Notable location: He became bishop of this Roman city near modern Venice and governed it until his death; Altino was later partially abandoned in favor of the islands that became Venice; he is one of the founding bishops of the Venetian-area church (Altino (Altinum), Veneto, Italy)
Notable location: He joined Jerome in his ascetic retreat in the desert near Antioch c. 373–374 AD; he left this hermitage and returned to the West, prompting Jerome to write the famous Epistle 14 reproaching him for abandoning the desert life (Desert of Chalcis, Syria (historical))
Notable location:
Notable location:
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Feast day
July 3
Veneration
Saint Heliodorus is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on July 3, observed in northeastern Italy.
Prayers
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