St. Simeon the Stylite

Simeon was a shepherd boy in Syria who heard the Beatitudes read in church and gave his whole life to prayer. After years of fierce fasting he climbed a pillar near Aleppo, and over time it was raised to about fifteen metres. He stayed on top for 37 years, through heat and cold, preaching twice a day to the pilgrims who came from as far as Britain, and giving advice to bishops and emperors. After his death a huge church was built around the pillar, and its ruins, Qal’at Sim’an, still stand.

• Feast: September 1 (New Calendar)
• Lived: c. 390–459
• Place: Qal’at Sim’an, Syria