Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Mass at Bethlehem Hermitage in Chester on Jan. 17 to commemorate the memorial of St. Anthony the Great, known as the Father of Monasticism.
Bethlehem Hermitage is a foundation of Catholic hermits, men and women, who live a life of prayer, penance, silence, and solitude.
For years, St. Anthony — also known as Anthony of Egypt, Anthony the Hermit, Anthony of Thebes, and Anthony of the Desert — lived in a hermitage he built. He established communities of men who also felt called to seek God in the renunciation of the world living in the desert.
St. Anthony is considered one of the precursors of monasticism, if not the initiator. Today, after centuries, desert monasticism still exists in various parts of the world, according to the Catholic News Agency (CNA).
CNA states that St. Anthony is also known as a defender of the faith and co-patron of animals, sharing that title with St. Francis of Assisi. Read more about St. Anthony the Great.
BEACON PHOTOS | JENNIFER MAHON