Saint Hilarion, Abbot
S. Hilarionis Abbatis
Saint Hilarion was the father of monastic life in Palestine, a disciple of Saint Anthony who carried the solitary life from the deserts of Egypt to his own homeland and there gathered many to the service of God.
On the twenty-first of October the Church commemorates Saint Hilarion, abbot, who is honoured as the founder and father of the monastic life in Palestine. Born about the year 291 near Gaza, of pagan parents, he was sent as a youth to Alexandria for his studies, and there he came to the faith of Christ. His life was set down by Saint Jerome, who drew upon the memory of those who had known the holy abbot; and so, unlike many of the early solitaries, Saint Hilarion is known to us in some fullness.
Father of the solitaries of Palestine
While still a young man, Saint Hilarion sought out Saint Anthony in the Egyptian desert and remained for a time at his side, learning from that great master the way of prayer, penance, and solitude. Returning to his own country, he distributed his inheritance to the poor and withdrew into the wilderness near Gaza, where he gave himself to a life of extraordinary austerity, labour, and watchfulness, contending with temptation and seeking God alone. He ate but little, clothed himself in sackcloth, and supported himself by the work of his hands.
The fame of his holiness could not long be hidden, and disciples gathered about him, drawn by his example and by the wonders that God was pleased to work through his prayers. In this way the eremitical and monastic life, which had flourished in Egypt under Saint Anthony, took root in Palestine, and Saint Hilarion became to that land what Saint Anthony had been to the desert of Egypt. Yet he shrank from honour and from the crowds that pressed upon him, and more than once he withdrew to distant places — into Egypt, to Sicily, to Dalmatia, and at last to Cyprus — seeking the solitude and silence he loved.
His holy death
Worn with age and penance, Saint Hilarion died in Cyprus about the year 371, in extreme old age. His remains were afterward brought back to Palestine, to the monastery he had founded, where his memory was held in veneration. Through the life written by Saint Jerome his name became known and loved throughout the Church.
In Saint Hilarion the Church honours a pioneer of the consecrated life, who left all things to follow Christ in the desert, and who by his fidelity drew many others to seek God in prayer and renunciation. His feast is kept on the twenty-first of October.
The Collect
Patronage
He is venerated as the father of monastic life in Palestine; his life was written by Saint Jerome.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar his commemoration is no longer kept on the universal calendar, though it is retained in certain places and religious orders.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Hilarion?
His feast is kept on 21 October in the calendar of the 1962 Roman Missal, as a Fourth Class feast. In the modern calendar he is no longer observed on the universal calendar.
Who was Saint Hilarion?
He was a hermit and abbot, born near Gaza about 291, who is honoured as the founder of monastic life in Palestine. A disciple of Saint Anthony of Egypt, he carried the solitary life into his own homeland, gathered many disciples, and died in Cyprus about 371. His life was written by Saint Jerome.
How do we know so much about an early hermit?
Saint Jerome composed a Life of Saint Hilarion, drawing on the recollections of those who had known him. Because of this account, Saint Hilarion is known to us far more fully than most of the early solitaries, whose lives are largely hidden.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
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