HESYCHIUS THE ASCETIC, Saint. - Anchorite of the 8th century, easily confused with his namesake called "the Thaumaturge"; perhaps for this reason his feast (6 March) is not consistent across the various Churches of the Syrians, Copts and Greeks.

Very little is known about him. A native of the Andrzepa region near Ancyra in Pontus, he sought the solitude of Mount Malone, not far from Adriania in Bithynia, where he erected an oratory to the apostle St. Andrew. Warned by an angel of the nearness of death, he terrified the bystanders with the fear of hell, but, having ended his life, full of merits, in great peace, shining with divine splendor, he reposed [during the reign] of Constantine VI together with Irene his mother, and therefore between 780-97. His body, first laid before the iconostasis (of the oratory of St. Andrew), was later (808) transferred near the altar by Theophylact, bishop of Amasia.

Of interest to historians is the discovery and use of the wholly worn manuscript from which the Greek Synaxarion took these facts.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: D. Papabrochion, in Acto SS. Martii. I. Anversa 1868, p. 456; Vita (del Sinassario er.), ibid., pp. 456-57 e 886-87; cf. I. Duco, in Acto SS. Octobris. II. Parigi-Roma 1866, p. 142, num. 6.

Emmanuele Candel

@incollection{ec5_esichio_l_asceta_santo, author = {Candal, Emanuele}, title = {Esichio L'Asceta, santo}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {V}, pages = {581}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1950}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/esichio-l-asceta-santo} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Hesychius the Ascetic, Saint

About this entry