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Alypius the Stylite

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Feast
  
November 26


Name
  
Alypius Stylite

Alypius the Stylite Handpainted icon of St Saint Alypius the Stylite About our icons


Venerated in
  
Eastern Orthodox ChurchEastern Catholic ChurchesRoman Catholic Church

Attributes
  
Clothed in his monastic habit, standing atop a pillar

Patronage
  
fertility in women, young children

Died
  
Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia

Saint Alypius the Stylite (Greek: Ἀλύπιος ὁ Στυλίτης) was a seventh-century ascetic saint. He is revered as a monastic founder, an intercessor for the infertile, and a protector of children. During his lifetime he was a much sought-after starets (guide in the Christian spiritual life).

Alypius the Stylite FileAlypius the Stylitejpg Wikimedia Commons

Alypius was born in the city of Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia. His mother, who had been widowed early, was very pious. She sent her son to be educated by the bishop Theodore, gave all of her livelihood to the poor, and herself became a deaconess and lived an ascetic life. Alypius built a church in honour of the Great Martyr Saint Euphemia the All-Praised on the site of a dilapidated pagan temple. He erected a pillar beside the church and lived atop it for the majority of his adult life. Two monasteries were built beside his pillar, one for monks and one for nuns, and Saint Alypius served as spiritual director of both. According to his hagiography for the last fourteen years of his life he was unable to stand, and had to lie on his side. He died in 640, at the age of 118. He is recognised as one of the three great stylite ascetics along with Simeon Stylites the Elder and Daniel the Stylite.

Alypius the Stylite churchholytrinitycomwpcontentuploadsalypiusjpg

Alypius is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, as well as the Roman Catholic Church on November 26. For those churches which follow the Julian Calendar November 26 currently falls on December 9 of the modern Gregorian Calendar. After his death his relics were interred in the Church of St. Euphemia which he had built. His head is preserved in the Monastery of Koutloumousiou on the Mount Athos.

References

Alypius the Stylite Wikipedia


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