Saint Ammon (Amon)
A 4th-century Egyptian nobleman, Ammon lived in continence with his wife for eighteen years before retiring as a hermit. As the first solita…
Iconographic attribute
hermit's habit
20 saints
Saint Anthony of Liarolles
A former soldier from an illustrious family of Agen, Antoine de Liarolles abandoned arms for the eremitic life to flee the influence of the …
Blessed Bennon
A canon of Strasbourg who became a hermit in Switzerland, Bennon restored the site of Einsiedeln before being appointed bishop of Metz in 92…
Saint Bernard of Abbeville (of Tiron)
Born near Abbeville in the 11th century, Bernard was a reforming monk and a rigorous hermit. After leading the Abbey of Saint-Cyprien and de…
Saint Calminius (Calmine)
A Duke of Aquitaine from a senatorial family in the 6th century, Calminius renounced his duties to lead a hermit's life near Tulle. He used …
Blessed Catherine of Cardona
Born into the illustrious House of the Dukes of Cardona, Catherine fled the Spanish court to live for twenty years as a hermit in a cave nea…
Saint Epiphanius of Salamis
Born in Palestine and heir to a wealthy Jew, Epiphanius became a learned monk before being elected Bishop of Salamis in 367. A great defende…
Blessed Géraud de Sales-Cadouin
Born in Périgord, Géraud de Sales was a disciple of Robert d'Arbrissel before becoming a hermit and itinerant preacher. Founder of nine mona…
Saint Herbaud
A nobleman from Great Britain, Herbaud retired as a hermit in the diocese of Quimper in the 8th century. Renowned for his healings and apost…
Saint James of Sasseau
A former Greek soldier who became a priest, Saint Jacques de Sasseau settled as a hermit in Berry in the 9th century after a journey through…
Saint Leobon of Saint-Étienne-de-Fursac
A 6th-century solitary from the Creuse, Saint Léobon lived as a hermit near Fursac and later at Salagnac. He is famous for having resisted t…
Saint Macarius the Egyptian (the Elder)
Born in Upper Egypt around 301, Macarius the Elder was one of the most illustrious disciples of Saint Anthony. After enduring slander with p…
Nicholas of Flüe
Nicholas of Flüe (Bruder Klaus), farmer, magistrate and later mystic hermit of the Ranft, died in 1487 and was canonized in 1947 by Pius XII…
Saint Nilammon
A recluse near the city of Geris in Egypt in the 5th century, Nilammon lived in a walled cell to dedicate himself to God. To escape his elec…
Saint Peter Damian
Born in Ravenna and orphaned early, Peter Damian became a prominent scholar before retiring to the hermitage of Fonte Avellana. Becoming Car…
Blessed Peter the Hermit
A nobleman from Amiens who became a hermit, Peter was the instigator and one of the leaders of the First Crusade following a pilgrimage to t…
Saints Barontius and Desiderius
A nobleman from Berry under Theuderic III, Barontius left worldly life for the Abbey of Lonrey. After a famous vision of the afterlife where…
Saint Sarre of Lambres
Born in Lambres in the 7th century into a powerful family, Sarre renounced worldly goods to become a priest in Cambrai and later a pastor in…
Saint Thecla (Tygre) of Maurienne
A noble virgin from Valloires in the 6th century, Thecla undertook a perilous pilgrimage to Alexandria to obtain relics of Saint John the Ba…
Saint Vulphy, Patron of Rue
A priest of Rue in the 7th century, Vulphy imposed a heroic penance upon himself after breaking his vow of continence with his wife. After a…