St Pachomius (292-346) founder of communities for monks
Impressed by the kindness of Christians
Born in
Thebes, Upper Egypt, Pachomius was conscripted at an early age into the
Roman army. Impressed by the kindness of Christians, he became a
Christian on his release.
Soon he became a disciple of the hermit
Palemon, who taught him how to pray and meditate.
From him he also
learned some of the practical skills of laying stone and bricks.
A community of monks
When other disciples began
to arrive, Pachomius had the idea of a community of monks.
He went to
live at Tabennesi on the Nile in central Egypt, where he himself became
the administrator, organising those who came into a community of up to
forty.
The regime was austere, one meal a day with an optional supper,
except on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Organisation
The day was organised around the
liturgy, with time for manual work and devotional reading.
This took the
form of learning by heart extracts from the psalms and the Bible. The
movement grew rapidly and Pachomius established a second monastery.
Eventually there were nine monasteries for men and two for women. He
appointed local superiors in charge of each of the houses.
The superiors
met at Easter and August to present an account of their monastery and
celebrate the liturgy together.
Obedience more important than fasting and prayer
Pachomius
considered obedience carried out with zeal more important that fasting
and prayer.
The monks were not ordained, nor was he himself, but a
priest from outside came to celebrate the liturgy.
His Rule and influence
Pachomius wrote a Rule,
which influenced St Basil in the East and, through a Latin
translation by St Jerome, St Benedict in the West.
He died of a plague
in 346.