St. Hilarion
Abbot and Hermit, Father of Palestinian Monasticism
Feast Day: October 21
Biography
St. Hilarion (c. 291–c. 371) was born to pagan parents in Tabatha, near Gaza in Palestine, and was sent to Alexandria to study. There he became a Christian and, drawn by the reputation of St. Anthony, went to live with him in the Egyptian desert for a time. Returning home as a young man, he gave away his inheritance and began a life of prayer, fasting, and manual labor in the wilderness near Gaza. He is considered the founder of monastic life in Palestine. Over time his holiness and reputation for healing attracted crowds of visitors and many disciples, and monasteries grew up around him. Longing for solitude, Hilarion left in his sixties and spent his last years traveling from place to place, to Egypt, Sicily, and Dalmatia, and finally to Cyprus, trying to remain hidden, but his fame followed him wherever he went. He died in Cyprus at about eighty, and his disciple Hesychius secretly carried his body back to Palestine. Our main source is the Life of Hilarion written by St. Jerome around 390, which includes accounts of miracles that reflect the style of the hagiography of the time. His example helped spread monasticism throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
St. Hilarion, you left everything to seek God in the silence of the desert and fled the praise of the world. Help me to love hidden prayer and to find my worth in God alone, not in the opinions of others. Obtain for me a humble heart and the grace to make a quiet place for the Lord in my busy life. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. St. Hilarion, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “St. Hilarion, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.