Canon John Udris, Spiritual Director at Oscott College, talks to us about the Desert Fathers and Mothers.
As the persecution and martyrdom of the early Christians came to an end at the beginning of the fourth century, a new form of heroic holiness began to emerge in the deserts of Egypt.
Its most famous icon was St Anthony the Great, sometimes known as Anthony of the Desert.
Imitating Jesus who went into the wilderness to pray and do battle with the devil, Anthony embraced a life of solitude and would inspire countless others who became known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers.
