We celebrate the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot (also known as St. Anthony the Great) on January 17.
He was a Christian monk from Egypt, who went to live in the wilderness in pursuit of a holy life.
Although he is considered to be the father of Christian monasticism, he was a true hermit. As word of his holiness spread, many people went out to the desert to learn from him and pray with him.
Anthony himself did not organize or create a monastery, but a community grew around him based on his example of living an ascetic and isolated life.
He is the patron saint of skin diseases, basket makers, brush makers, gravediggers, and the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, Rome.
Get to know St. Anthony the Abbot through this playlist inspired by his life — featuring music by The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, and Rag'n'Bone Man and themes of wilderness, reflection, and dependence on God.
