Men (and some women) who sought solitude and prayer

Early Monasticsm

The title of Desert Fathers was given to the early Christian hermits, ascetics and monks who began living a life of simplicity and prayer in the deserts in Egypt. This was at the beginning of the 3rd century. It is to these men (and some women) that the whole concept of monasticism is attributed.

2 examples

2 of the churches / monasteries in the Eastern Desert in Egypt are St Anthony and St Paul. They are separated by 25 km of walking (across arid and hilly terrain) or 85 km by road. They are both Egypt’s and Christianity’s oldest monasteries. These 2 churches are named after 2 of the Desert Fathers.

St Paul

Paul was born into a wealthy family in Alexandria in 228 AD and died when he was 113 years old. He was known as St Paul the Anchorite, St Paul the Hermit or St Paul of Thebes. He fled to the desert to escape the Roman persecution of Christians when he was 16 years old. He then lived in a cave in the desert for 90 years. He is considered the earliest Christian Hermit by many. During his time in the cave, it appears that he was sustained by a small nearby spring and a date palm tree, the leaves of which he is said to have plaited and worn as a tunic.
Apparently St Anthony went on a journey to meet this other holy man in his cave, and this cave is now referred to as:
“The Meeting of the First Hermit and the Father of Monasticism.”
I wonder if they realised at the time the significance of the occasion?

St Anthony

Anthony, who is considered the Father of Monasticism, was born in AD 251 near Beni Suef (Egypt) and was orphaned at the age of 18. He heard a sermon (AD 270) highlighting how spiritual perfection can be reached by selling your possessions and giving the money to the poor. He did exactly this, giving his inheritance away, and after some studies with a local holy man, he headed to the Eastern desert. Why?
• To renounce possessions to learn detachment
• To renounce activity to learn prayer

He wanted to seek complete solitude and spiritual salvation by living an ascetic existence, by getting away from people and “normal” life. However, as word spread about him, people followed him into the desert, and his followers formed a loose community at the base of the mountain where he lived in his cave. This community formed the first monastery-type living, forming an alternative christian society.
As numbers increased, the monastic fervour spread to Italy and France. The central tenet of this monasticism was:
• solitude, sacrifice and austerity (separation from material goods)

Anthony died when he as 105 years old, and in death, his solitude has been respected as the location of his grave is still a closely guarded secret!
One can still visit the current Church of St Anthony, the cave of St Anthony being located 300 meters above the monastery. 120 monks still live there, and are dedicated to seeking God in the stillness and isolation of the desert, with their lives built around times of prayer.