PACHOMIUS

14th May. Fr. Anselm (Eamon McGrath) celebrated his 90th birthday. Abbot Raymond joined in the celebrations in Southend on Sea.
15th May. St. Pachomius. Fr. Hugh was on his favourite home-ground of communal monasticism as he spoke at the Community Mass. He could from experience of both the anchorite and of the communal style of the monastic vocation.

St.PACHOMIUS .
“To live in great simplicity,” said St. Pachomius, “and in wise ignorance, is exceedingly wise”.

– the basic facts: Father of Spiritual Communal Monastic Life Born ca. 292, Thebes, Egypt Died 9 May 348, Egypt Venerated in Roman Catholic ChurchEastern Orthodox ChurchesEastern Catholic ChurchesOriental Orthodox ChurchesLutheran Church Feast May 914 Pashons (Coptic Orthodox)Roman Catholic Benedictine celebrate his feast day on May 15. Attributes Hermit in a garb, Hermit crossing the Nile on the back of a crocodile
St. PACHOMIUS the Great of Upper Egypt, Abbot of Tabennisi
(Coptic: BAKHUM)IV Century

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Born of pagan parents in the Upper Thebaid of Egypt, St. Pachomius (292-346) was a soldier before his baptism in 314. He became a hermit in 317. Called the Father of Cenobitic Monasticism, he wrote a rule that balances the communal life with the solitary life. The monks live in individual cells but work together for the common good of the community. Prayer is both corporate and private. He established his first monastery around 323 in Tabennisi. St. Pachomius died during a plague, and at the time of his death, he was the spiritual leader of about 3,000 monks.

St. Jerome translated the rule of St. Pachomius into Latin in 404, and only this translation survives. The rule of St. Pachomius influenced St. Benedict in preparing his own rule for monks. (Karen Rae Keck)
I his 3rd Sermon on St. Benedict, St. Aelred, himself the Abbot of a very large community at Rievaulx, echos the spirit of St. Pachomius. The monks together in their various occupations as tailors or cooks, as herders or woodwokers etc. -Brothers working together in unity.
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