Saint Paul the Hermit

January15

St. Paul was born in Thebes and lived in Egypt between the 3rd and 4th centuries. He went into the desert to flee persecution under the Roman emperor Decius. He was taken with solitude of the place where he found himself and chose not to return even after the death of Decius. He is thought to be the first catholic hermit. Devotion to him  began as early as the 4th century including  as far away as Europe in the 13th century. In art he is shown wearing a long bushy beard and clothed as hermit; sometimes there is a raven with bread in his beak nearby. He is the Patron of mat makers and his name in Latin means small in stature and humble.