Barsanuphius ( gr, Βαρσανούφιος, Barsanouphios, it, Barsonofio, Barsanofrio, Barsanorio; died c. 545), also known as Barsanuphius of Palestine or Barsanuphius of Gaza, was a Christian

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

and writer of the sixth century. Born in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, he lived in absolute seclusion for fifty years, and then near the monastery of Saint Seridon of Gaza in Palestine. He wrote many letters, 800 of which have survived. He corresponded mainly with John the Prophet, abbot of the monastery of Merosala and teacher of

Dorotheus of Gaza Dorotheus of Gaza ( grc-gre, Δωρόθεος τῆς Γάζης ''Dorotheos tes Gazes''; 505 – 565 or 620,) or Abba Dorotheus, was a Christian monk and abbot. Life He joined the monastery Abba Serid (or Abba Sveridus) near Gaza through the ...

. Barsanuphius and John ''Letters'', translated by John Chryssavgis

Catholic University of America Press The Catholic University of America Press, also known as CUA Press, is the publishing division of The Catholic University of America. Founded on November 14, 1939, and incorporated on July 16, 1941,Roy J. Deferrari ''Memoirs of the Catholic Unive ...

(2002) At the old age he convinced the emperor to renew the concordant relationship with the Church of Jerusalem.

Veneration

His relics arrived in Oria, in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, with a Palestinian

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

in 850 AD and placed in the present-day church of San Francesco da Paola by Bishop Theodosius. During a Moorish

siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...

and taking of the city, the

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

were lost but then later rediscovered and placed in the city's basilica. At Oria he is considered to have saved the city from destruction wrought by foreign invaders. A legend states that he repelled a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

invasion by appearing before the Spanish commander armed with a sword. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he is said to have spread his blue cape across the sky, thus causing a

rainstorm Rain is liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then become heavy enough to fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fr ...

, and preventing an air bombing by Allied Forces.

References

External links

San Barsanofio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barsanuphius Of Palestine 6th-century Christian saints Egyptian hermits Saints from the Holy Land Saints from Roman Egypt 563 deaths Year of birth unknown