Lives of Other Saints of Africa
St. Paisius the Great (monastic father in Egypt, June 19, 417)
He was an Egyptian monk, abbot of a monastery, and wise spiritual guide. One day, the Lord told him to let his brothers know that He would come to their church that day. All the brothers hurried to the church to see the Lord, rushing by an old sick man struggling to also make his way to the church. St. Paisius, then an elderly man, stopped and pitied the pilgrim, and struggled himself to get him to church. As they were arriving, St. Paisius noticed nail prints on the old man’s feet and hands, and realized that this was Christ Himself. For, In as much as you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you do it unto me (Mt 25:40).
St. Pachomius the Great (monastic father in Egypt, May 15, 348)
He became known as the Father of the community form of monastic life. Pachomius was an Egyptian convert who lived for ten years in the Tabennisiot desert in Upper Egypt under obedience to the hermit St. Palamon. Then an angel came to him and gave him a stone on which was written a monastic rule, telling him to build a monastery. Although there were at that point only two of them, Pachomius and his brother built many monastic cells. Eventually, over seven thousand monks came, settling in several monasteries which looked to St. Pachomius for direction. His monastic rule is the basis of the rules still used today, and St. Pachomius is considered the father of monastic communities. He sickened and died at the age of 53 during a plague, caring for his sick brethren. It was this practical love for the sick that distinguished Christians from pagans in the eyes of the world.
St. Anthony the Great (hermit father in Egypt, January 17, 356)
He became known as the Father of the hermit form of monastic life. Anthony was an Egyptian (Copt) by birth who inherited his parents’ wealth as a young man. But in church, he heard Christ’s council on perfection: Go sell what you have, give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me (Mt 19:21). He felt God speaking directly into his heart. And so the young Anthony provided for his younger sister and then distributed the rest of what he had. He began to live as a hermit on the outskirts of the city. Later, he moved deeper into the desert and so became the father of desert-dwelling hermits. Once some educated pilgrims scorned him as illiterate, but he famously replied, “Which came first, the wisdom or the book?” His life was written by St. Athanasius, making him a template for the desert life.
St. Macarius the Great (monastic skete father in Egypt, January 19, 390)
He became known as the Father of the skete form of monastic life, in which three to 12 live in community. Macarius was born near the Nitrian desert in Egypt and, from his youth, he loved God deeply and worked hard to learn to pray and to overcome his faults. He sought out St. Anthony the Great, who became his spiritual father. Under St. Anthony’s direction, Macarius settled in the severe desert of Sketis, where he eventually became a father to many monks and a miracle worker, healing many who were sick and even raising the dead several times. Once a demon confessed to St. Macarius, “Everything you do, I do also: you fast, and I eat nothing at all. You keep vigil and I never sleep. In one thing only do you surpass me—in humility.” Some of his prayers are still recited as part of morning and evening prayers for Orthodox Christians.
St. Onuphrius the Great (hermit father in Egypt, June 12, 400)
He lived in peace in a monastery in the Egyptian Thebaïd, seeking silence and knowledge of God. He had always loved the desert dwellers like St. John the Baptist and the Prophet Elijah. And one day his guardian angel led him into the desert, where he lived alone for over sixty years. After many years, his clothing rotted, and he was covered with snow-white hair which reached to his feet. For years he struggled with cold, heat, hunger, and temptations to leave the desert. By God’s providence, a date palm grew up near his cell. An angel brought him food daily and brought him Holy Communion on Saturdays.
St. Thaïs (solitary nun in Egypt, October 8, 340)
She was an Egyptian girl whose shameless mother set her up in a life of prostitution. She was famously beautiful and brought many admirers to financial and spiritual ruin. By God’s grace, St. Paphnutius became aware of her situation. After disguising himself, he paid to spend the night with her. And when they were alone, he began to gently and lovingly remind her of God’s love and His ever-willingness to forgive. Thaïs threw herself at the elder’s feet, begging him to deliver her from her sinful life. Then, asking him for three hours’ leave, she gathered all her possessions and burned them publicly. When she returned, St. Paphnutius took her to a convent where she was shut in a small cell. He instructed her to pray towards the east, “O Thou who hast created me, have mercy on me.” After three years, St. Paphnutius discovered, through St. Paul the Simple’s vision in prayer, that her repentance had been accepted and that a beautiful dwelling awaited her in heaven. St. Paphnutius released her from her cell but, after a brief illness, she passed peacefully on to her reward.
St. Thaïs (penitent of Egypt, May 10, 5 century)
This Thaïs was the orphan of wealthy and pious parents. When she had given away everything—even her dowry—in alms, she turned to prostitution to survive. When the monks of Sketis heard of her situation, they resolved to help her as she had once helped them, sending St. John the Dwarf to her house. He, like St. Paphnutius in the previous account, disguised himself as one who came to solicit her services. But when alone with her, he began to weep. When Thais asked why he was crying, he gently told her, “How can I not weep when you have forsaken your Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, and are now pleasing Satan?” Cut to the heart, she left all and returned with St. John to the desert. He prepared two nearby places for them to rest for the night. He was awakened in the middle of the night, seeing a bright light shine down from heaven towards her resting place, and the angels carrying off her soul. When he approached, he indeed found her dead body, which he buried. An angel comforted him, saying, “Because she repented with all her soul and a sincere heart, her hour of repentance was equal to many years.”
St. Theodora of Alexandria (solitary nun in Egypt, September 11, 490)
She was a young wife who committed adultery. In repentance, she left her home and entered a monastery dressed as a man, using the name Theodore. Her repentance was sincere and deep. In the monastery, Theodora endured jealousy when a crocodile showed submission to her. She was falsely accused of fathering a child. At first, Theodora claimed her innocence, but as accusations continued, she responded simply, “Forgive me for I am a sinner.” She was put out of the monastery and left for seven years to raise the infant boy on her own, which she accepted as God’s will. After her repose, she was discovered to be a woman, and her innocence was realized. The child she raised eventually became abbot of that monastery.
St. Mary of Egypt (hermit in the Palestinian desert, April 1, 421 or 530)
She was an Egyptian harlot of 17 years who, for her own pleasure, attached herself to pilgrim youths traveling to Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Cross. At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, it seemed to Mary that invisible hands held her only back from entering. She realized that it was because of her sinful life and wept before an icon of the Mother of God in deep contrition. Then she was given effortless entry to venerate the Cross, and Mary entrusted her life to the Mother of God’s direction.
She was instructed to cross the Jordan River, and there she suffered alone in the desert for 47 years, struggling by God’s grace to lift up her thoughts in repentance. In her final years, she demonstrated the grace of clairvoyance and miracles. She was discovered by St. Zosimas, who shared the story of her life and struggles.
St. Katherine the Great Martyr (virgin martyr in Alexandria, November 24, 310)
She was beautiful, intelligent, and wealthy, yet refused all suitors, seeking instead the One who was truly worthy. Guided by a priest to fast and pray, she received a vision of Christ, who gave her a ring, betrothing her to Himself — a ring that still exists today. When Emperor Maximinus began torturing Christians, Katherine courageously confronted him, debating fifty philosophers and converting them all. Seeing this, the empress, a courtier, and two hundred soldiers also embraced the faith. Enraged, Maximinus executed them all, then cruelly tortured and martyred St. Katherine for her steadfast love of Christ.
St. Isidora of Tabenna (nun in Egypt, May 10, 365)
She lived humbly as a kitchen worker in her Egyptian monastery, enduring insults and mockery from her sisters without complaint, praying instead for those who mistreated her. When the monk Pitirim visited, God revealed that a hidden saint dwelt among them. After summoning all the nuns, Pitirim realized Isidora was missing, sought her out, and proclaimed her sanctity before all. Overwhelmed by attention, St. Isidora fled into obscurity, preferring humility to praise. Her place of repose remains unknown.
St. Perpetua (martyr in Carthage, February 1, 202)
A noblewoman of Carthage, Perpetua was a young mother when she was arrested for her Christian faith. Strengthened by divine visions, she embraced martyrdom, trusting in the reward Christ promised His faithful servants. With her companion Felicity, a catechumen of the enslaved class, she faced the arena with courage. Felicity gave birth shortly before their execution, so that they might suffer together in Christ. With four others, they bore witness to the power of faith over fear, their names forever united in the memory of the Church.
St. Patapius of Thebes (monk in Constantinople, December 8, 463)
Born to a noble Christian family in Thebes, St. Patapius renounced worldly comforts for the solitude of the desert. His holiness drew admirers, so he fled quietly to Constantinople, settling in a small cell at the Blachernae Monastery. There he healed the blind and sick and cast out demons by the grace of God. Living into his eighties, he remained prayerful and humble, serving all who sought his blessing and instruction.
St. George of Damascus (martyred slave from Africa, November 3, n.y.)
Born a Christian but enslaved to a Moslem master, St. George was pressured from youth to renounce his faith. Upon reaching manhood, he returned firmly to Christ. His master promised freedom and honors if he would deny the Lord, but George remained steadfast. Enraged, the master bound him with arms and legs outstretched and cut him in half with a sword. Thus, St. George sealed his confession of faith with his blood.
St. Moses the Ethiopian (monastic father in Egypt, August 28, 375)
Once the violent leader of a desert band of robbers, St. Moses was moved to repentance by the humility of a monastery abbot. Embracing the monastic life, he labored for years to purify his heart. Known for his compassion, he once came to a meeting carrying a basket leaking sand: “These are my sins trailing behind me while I judge my brother.” When bandits attacked the monastery, Moses refused to take up arms, remembering Christ’s words. Blessing the brothers who fled, he and those who stayed were slain for the faith, receiving martyrs’ crowns.
St. Isidore of Sketis (monastic father in Egypt, March 13, 4th century)
An elder among the monks of Sketis, St. Isidore was spiritual father to many, including the repentant St. Moses the Black. Known for his gentleness and wisdom, he offered the counsel: “If you desire salvation, do everything that leads you to it.” Through his quiet guidance, he helped transform lives hardened by sin into vessels of divine peace.
St. Pambo (hermit monk in Egypt, July 18, 373)
An ascetic of Mt. Nitria and a disciple of St. Anthony’s generation, St. Pambo was known for his prayer, silence, and labor. Many sought his guidance, yet he lived simply by the work of his own hands. On his deathbed he said, “Since I entered the desert and built my cell, I do not recall eating bread I did not earn or regretting any word I spoke. Yet I go to God as one who has not even begun to serve Him.” His humility became a model for monastics after him.
St. Menas (or Mina, military martyr from Egypt, November 11, 304)
A Roman soldier from Egypt, courageous and noble, St. Menas refused to persecute fellow Christians during Emperor Diocletian’s reign. Leaving the army to pray in the wilderness, he later returned to confess Christ openly. Tortured and beheaded, he was buried near Alexandria, where a shrine soon became a place of miracles. Soldiers in World War II even reported seeing St. Menas aiding them in battle, securing victory through his intercession.
St. Cyprian of Carthage (martyred bishop from Carthage, August 31, 258)
A former pagan scholar, St. Cyprian was drawn to the gospel and became a bishop in Carthage. Known for his mercy, he welcomed back those who repented after denying Christ under persecution. When his own martyrdom came, he offered gold to his executioner and faced death serenely, confessing the faith with courage. His pastoral writings and steadfast leadership continue to inspire bishops and faithful alike.
St. Athanasius the Great (Bishop of Alexandria, May 2, 373)
As a young deacon at the Council of Nicea, Athanasius was a key defender of the truth that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. Later as Bishop of Alexandria, he endured exile for opposing the Arian heresy. During his time away, he visited desert monks and wrote the celebrated life of St. Anthony the Great, which inspired countless conversions to monastic life. Through his brilliant writings and steadfast faith, St. Athanasius became a pillar of Christian orthodoxy.
St. Sisoës the Great (hermit father in Egypt, July 6, 429)
Born in Thebes, St. Sisoës became a monk at Sketis and later dwelt for seventy-two years on the mountain once inhabited by St. Anthony. Through prayer and humility, he healed the sick, cast out demons, and even raised the dead. His teaching was simple yet profound: “When a man regards every man as better than himself, he gains humility.” At his death, his face shone with light as he beheld the company of saints coming to receive his soul.
St. Maurice the Black (military martyr in Switzerland, September 22, 305)
Commander of the Theban Legion, comprising 6,600 Christian soldiers from Egypt, St. Maurice led his men with courage and faith. When Emperor Maximian ordered sacrifices to the pagan gods, Maurice and his legion refused. The Emperor punished them by decimations, killing every tenth soldier until all were slain. Their unwavering loyalty to Christ made them martyrs of conscience. St. Maurice is venerated across Europe, especially in Switzerland, where he is remembered as a dark-skinned saint and steadfast soldier of God
Q&A:
All these saints lived between the 3rd and 6th centuries. Why so long ago?
This was an important time in the growth and development of the Church. From the time of the apostles until the Edict of Milan in 313, it was the first age of Christian martyrdom. Emperor Constantine’s edict granted religious tolerance to Christianity in the Roman Empire. But prior to that, the primary means to sanctity was martyrdom—refusing idol worship for Christ’s sake and at the cost of one’s own life. While the Church has always suffered from Judas figures, once the Christian Faith became legal, a new phenomenon was possible— “lukewarm” Christianity. In response, some of the more zealous Christians sought ways to prove their love to Christ without literal martyrdom. Men and women imitated St. John the Baptist and the holy Prophet Elijah by living austere lives of prayer and labor in the wilderness. Thus, monastic life in its various forms began to develop in Palestine and North Africa. Rather than dying in the flesh, these monastics died to the world, to fame, to wealth, to comfort, and to self-will.
In the lives of the 22 saints above, you will see that those who died before 313 achieved sanctity through a violent martyrdom. Those who came afterwards achieved sanctity as monastics and penitents. St. Moses (†375) died a violent death, not as a result of Roman persecution, but from bandits. But the other monks and nuns represented here mostly died of illness, asceticism, and old age.
But speaking of martyrdom, during that same timeframe, a third way of giving one’s life for Christ also developed. This was the loving care of the sick and the dead during outbreaks of plague and “pestilence.” In Alexandria, during the Plague of Cyprian (261–263), priests, deacons, and “the best of the brethren” devoted themselves to the care of the sick and burying of the dead. They served pagan and Christian alike, in this way succumbing to illness and death themselves. Their archbishop, Dionysius, wrote that their deaths “seemed to lack nothing of martyrdom.” (The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Martyrs in the Plague at Alexandria on February 28th.)
Can saints from so long ago be relevant to us today?
Going back to the monastic saints, the ones represented here were part of a foundational generation, a golden age of desert dwelling. All subsequent monastic life—it is not an exaggeration to say, Orthodox Christian life in general—is built on their contributions and patterns of life. St. John Cassian (commemorated on February 29th) was originally from Scythia on the Black Sea. He traveled to Egypt with his friend, Germanus, between 385–400. St. John interviewed several of the Desert Fathers and, based on this, he wrote his Institutes and Conferences. Coming back to the West, he built a monastery in Marseille founded on the teachings of the Egyptian Fathers. Because of St. John’s books, translated into many languages, we have direct access to the teaching of these saints today. But there were many direct contributions by the North African saints themselves.
St. Athanasius helped to formulate the Nicene Creed or Symbol of Faith that we still recite in morning prayers, in the Divine Liturgy, and at other times. His Life of Anthony inspired the conversion of Blessed Augustine of Hippo, who also was African, and the foundation of Western theology (June 15, 430). St. Macarius the Great wrote prayers that are integrated into our morning and evening prayer offices. He also wrote the Fifty Spiritual Homilies that are in print in many languages today. The common or “cenobitic” life for monks, founded by St. Pachomius, became the inspiration for the Benedictine rule in the West. The fifth Sunday in Great Lent is devoted to St. Mary of Egypt. And her life, written down later by St. Sophrony of Jerusalem, is customarily read in its entirety during a special service earlier that week. Her life gives us a powerful model of repentance.
Some of St. Moses the Black’s sayings and deeds were recorded, still instructing us today in how to live God-pleasing lives. A number of Americans have taken his name in baptism or monasticism. And while the following may seem beyond belief to some, we have it from reliable witnesses: During the 1980s, St. Moses began appearing to people in California, in the vicinity of the St. Antony Coptic Monastery near Barstow. To one visionary, he revealed that he had come in response to the cries for help from the African American community.
What caused the golden age of desert dwelling to end?
From the early days, the desert settlements were vulnerable to disease outbreaks. St. Pachomius died between 346 and 348 during a plague that struck his monasteries. In one of these alone, 130 brethren and their leaders died from the illness. (The better-known Plague of Justinian did not strike until the 6th century.)
In the fifth century, the Roman Empire was destabilized by military conquest, famine, and more epidemic illnesses. Although some of this turmoil actually drove people into the desert to seek peace and stillness with God, as they had lost all hope in the present worldly order.
But eventually, even a hidden life in the desert ceased to be a safe haven. For example, there were ongoing raids on the monastic settlements by neighboring tribes who were looking for earthly treasures. In addition, in ad 398, at least 10,000 Fathers from the desert and caves of Sketis were martyred, their dwellings set alight by soldiers. This was not at the instigation of the state, but by command of Theophilus, the Patriarch of Alexandria. The pretext was to purge away the followers of certain theologian, Origen. But in fact, this heinous act was driven by the patriarch’s personal vendetta against the friends of his enemies. These 10,000 martyrs are commemorated on July 10th.
After the golden age of desert monasticism, whose saints are universally accepted in the Orthodox Church, two major events changed everything. First, following the Council of Chalcedon, the North African “Oriental” Churches separated from the rest of the “Eastern” Orthodox Churches over the proper understanding of the divine and human natures of Christ. The council took place in 451 ad. Then when the Islamic conquests began in Egypt in 639, the African Churches were further isolated, and the “Oriental” and “Eastern” Churches began to develop separate calendars of saints. Dialogue between these families of the Church is happening today, with the hope that the Eastern Church will eventually be able to recognize later African Saints.
Why are most of the Saints represented here associated with Egypt? Is Orthodox Christianity in Africa limited to North Africa?
Jomo Kenyatta and many of the Mau Mau freedom fighters were Orthodox Christian converts, belonging to a jurisdiction called the “African Orthodox Church.” As they fought against British colonial rule, they embraced the Orthodox Faith as one untainted by colonialism or slave trade. In fact, there has been a surge of growth of the Orthodox Church in African countries since the mid-20th century. We especially see this in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa and, to a lesser extent, in Nigeria, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Oriental Orthodox Churches in Ethiopia and Eritrea are very ancient and historical, accounting for the great majority of African Orthodox Christians. However, the new congregations are primarily under the Greek Patriarchate of Alexandria or the Russian Orthodox Church. Some of the clergy and bishops of these Orthodox dioceses attended seminary abroad, including in the US, allowing for organic and mutually supportive relationships to develop between Orthodox Christians in Africa and in America.
—Compiled by Popadija Anna Sanderson and Abbess Katherine Weston
January 19, 2026
Primary sources:
Gresham, Fr. Deacon John R., Jr. Become All Flame: Lent with African Saints. Sugar Land, TX: Park End Books, 2022.
Sanderson, Fr. Jerome and Carla Thomas, MD. Saints of Africa. Indianapolis, IN: CSB Publishing, 2006.
Bibliography:
Baring-Gould, S. Eastern Orthodox Saints. Selected from The Lives of the Saints, vols. 1 & 2, 1898 ed. Willits, CA: Eastern Orthodox Books, 1976.
Demetrius of Rostov, Saint. The Great Collection of The Lives of the Saints. Translated by Fr. Thomas Marretta. 12 vols. House Springs, MO: Chrysostom Press, 1997–2003.
Eusebius of Caesarea. Church History. Book VII. Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. In A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, Series 2, Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979.
Makarios of Simonos Petra, Hieromonk. The Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Translated by Christopher Hookway and M. Maria Rule. 7 vols. Ormylia (Chalkidike): Holy Convent of the Annunciation of Our Lady, 1998–2008.
Velimirović, Nikolai, Bishop. The Prologue from Ochrid: Lives of the Saints and Homilies for Every Day of the Year. Translated by Mother Maria. 4 vols. Birmingham: Lazarica Press, 1985–1986.
https://mosestheblack.org/resources/
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