Carion the Hermit

Venerable Carion was an ascetic of the fourth century who, leaving his wife and children, withdrew to the desert of Scetis in Egypt. He is commemorated by the old calendar on 18 December and on 19 January, the day of the Synaxis of all the saints of the land of Egypt. The Serbian synaxarion commemorates him together with his son, Zacharias.

Withdrawn to the desert of Scetis, he gave himself to severe monastic labors. His wife, having no means to feed herself and the two children, came with them to her husband, the hermit. Carion took to himself his son Zacharias and made him as strict an ascetic as he was himself, and left the daughter with his wife.

The Serbian source tells the matter differently: after some time famine came to Egypt, and for this reason his wife took their son Zacharias to his monastery, so that she might live more easily. Taking him in, Carion raised him in the skete, with the monks. When Zacharias had grown up, they went together to the Thebaid, where they lived in great asceticism and prayer.