St Pachomius

Claim to Fame: St Pachomius was born to pagan parents in Upper Egypt. When he was twenty years old, he was conscripted to serve in the Roman army. It happened while they were going to suppress a riot in the South of Egypt, and the soldiers camped outside the city of Esna. The Christians of the city went out to meet them with much joy and generosity. When he inquired about the reason for their kindness, they said because they are Christians and their religion obliged them to do that. The saint said within himself that if he returned safely form this mission, he would become a Christian. Indeed, he did return safely and was baptised into Christianity. He longed to live the perfect life of the Christian in isolation. But recognised that this was not possible for everyone, and so he began a new style of monastic life, monastic community.

Quote: Abba Pachomius once said to another Abba, in reference to giving an undeserving monk rank, “Listen to me, give him the office so that by this means we ay snatch his soul out of the enemy’s hands. For if we do good to a bad man, he comes thereby to have a perception of good. This is God’s love, to take pains for each other.”

Fun fact: he has been given the title: Father of Cenobitic Monasticism. He established the system of monastic shared living int eh monasteries, under one rule with one monk in charge called an Abbot.