St. Pachomius

St. Pachomius was born in 292 A.D. in Thebes, to pagan parents who forced him to worship idols. He rejected and mocked this false worship, and instead became a monk. He was devoted to St. Palamon, following his teachings and learning the monastic way of life.

One day, an angel of the Lord in the clothing of a monk appeared to him and gave him a rule for establishing a communal monastic life. Thousands of monks gathered to him, and he ordered their life -- their work, times of prayer, and meals -- according to the rule given him by the angel. He divided them into different monasteries with a spiritual father, an abbot, over each one. Thus, nine monasteries were developed along the Nile between Aswan and the end of Upper Egypt in the south, as well as a women's monastery at Tabennesi.

To keep the monks from spiritual pride, he had a priest from the outside come and serve Divine Liturgy, and did not permit any of his spiritual sons to be ordained to the priesthood. Out of humility, he himself fled when St. Athanasius, the Patriarch of Alexandria, wanted to ordain him as a priest.

He persevered as the father over these communities for forty years, until his departure to the Lord. His rule was strict, but coenobitic (communal) monasticism was a very fruitful way of life for tens of thousands of monks and nuns along the Nile. He is remembered on May 15^th of each year.