African Saints (from the Prologue of Ohrid) October 5     Dionysius (265) Born into a pagan family in Alexandria and a student of Origen.  Dionysius became the Bishop of Alexandria in 247 during a time of great persecution having to encouage his flock to hold firm against false teaching.  October 8     Thais(Taisia) (340)  She was a … More Dispatch from the Desert: October 5th thru 11th

African Saints (from the Prologue of Ohrid) October 4     Ammon (350)  He and his wife decided to live seperately.  She organized a convent while Ammon led a community of monks in  the Nitria desert.  Three lessons in the Sayings of the Desert Fathers are attributed to him. Paul the Simple  (339)  He caught his wife … More Dispatch from the Desert: September 28th thru October 4th

African Saints (from the Prologue of Ohrid) September 22         Peter the Merciful of Constantinople (6th Century) Served as a tax collector in Africa under Justinian.  Peter was once a cruel man who rarely gave alms to the poor.  In a vision, he saw the demons heaping his sins against him on a scale.  To his … More Dispatch from the Desert: September 21st thru 27th

African Saints (from the Prologue of Ohrid) September 16th     Dorotheus of Egypt (4th century)  Lived in a cell in the Thebaid.  He built cells for new monks and would pray and recite the Psalms while weaving mats.  Cyprian (258) Bishop and hieromartyr of Carthage.  Unlike the other bishop of the same name, this Cyprian was … More Dispatch from the Desert: September 14th thru 20th

African Saints (from the Prologue of Ohrid) September 11th     Theodora of Alexandria (490)  She was a married young woman who committed adultery.  Mourning what she had done, Theodora cut off her hair, dressed as a man, and gained entrance to a men’s monastery where she was heralded for her ascetic disciplines under the name Theodore.  … More Dispatch from the Desert: September 7th thru 13th

African Saints (from the Prologue of Ohrid) August 31st Cyprian (258)  Bishop of Carthage.  Born a pagan, he devoted himself to studying the scriptures and greatly criticized Roman society’s immorality.  Cyprian led the Church against heretics, sometimes in hiding.  As he was about to be martyred, the bishop gave 25 gold coins to his executioner. … More Dispatch from the Desert: August 31st thru September 6th

African Saints (from the Prologue of Ohrid) August 26th             Tithoes (5th century)  A disciple of Abba Pachomius and became the Abbot of Tabennisi Monastery.   Seven lessons in the Sayings of the Desert Fathers are attributed to him. Zer-Jacob (?) Missionary in Ethiopia Ibestion the Confessor (ca. 450) August 27th             Poemen the Great (450) Also known … More Dispatch from the Desert: August 24th thru 30th

African Saints (from the Prologue of Ohrid) No African (native born or from elsewhere) saints are listed for this week.   A Word from the Fathers & Mothers “Every virtue that is acquired without much effort is not strong and is easily shaken by the wind.”  Abba Isaac to Ammah Theodora, from the Matericon “How … More Dispatch from the Desert: August 17th thru 23rd