Palladius of Antioch
Encyclopedia
Palladius of Antioch, Saint Palladius the Desert Dweller (died 309) is an Orthodox
and Catholic
saint. Palladius was a hermit
in the desert
near Antioch
, Syria
(today Turkey
). He was a friend of Saint Simeon
. Palladius died in 390 of natural causes and was canonized in pre-Congregation times.
Saint Palladius the Desert Dweller led an ascetic life in a mountain cave
near Syrian Antioch
. Because of his struggles, he is said to have received the gift wonder-working
from the Lord. Once, a merchant
was found murdered by robbers near his cave. People accused St Palladius of the murder
, but through the prayer
of the saint
, the dead man rose up and named his murderers. The saint died at the end of the fourth century, leaving behind several works.
Saint Palladius is commemorated in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches on January 28
.
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
saint. Palladius was a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
in the desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
near Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
(today Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
). He was a friend of Saint Simeon
Simeon of Jerusalem
Saint Simeon of Jerusalem, son of Clopas, was a Jewish Christian leader and according to most Christian traditions the second Bishop of Jerusalem .-Life:Eusebius of Caesarea gives the list of these bishops...
. Palladius died in 390 of natural causes and was canonized in pre-Congregation times.
Saint Palladius the Desert Dweller led an ascetic life in a mountain cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
near Syrian Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
. Because of his struggles, he is said to have received the gift wonder-working
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
from the Lord. Once, a merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
was found murdered by robbers near his cave. People accused St Palladius of the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, but through the prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
of the saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
, the dead man rose up and named his murderers. The saint died at the end of the fourth century, leaving behind several works.
Saint Palladius is commemorated in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches on January 28
January 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Jan. 27 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - Jan. 29-Fixed commemorations:All fixed commemorations below are observed on February 10 by Old Calendarists.-Saints:*Venerable Ephraim the Syrian *Venerable Theodosius of Totma in Vologda, abbot...
.