View source for Stylite

A '''stylite''' is one who lives on a pillar (''style'' in Greek).  These holy [[saint]]s would remove their bodies from the ground for days, months, or even years in order that they might [[prayer|pray]] and [[fast]] better.  This did not mean that they were cut off from the world.  On the contrary, many people came from far and wide to learn from them.
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The first stylite was St. [[Symeon the Stylite]] whose [[feast day]] is celebrated on [[September 1]].  Other stylites include:

*Father [[Daniel the Stylite]] (409-493), a disciple of Saint Symeon, whose feast is [[December 11]]
*Saint [[Symeon the New Stylite]] or the Younger (d. 592), whose feast is [[May 24]]
*Saint [[Alipios the Stylite]] (7th-8th century), whose feast is [[November 26]]
*Saint [[Lazarus the Stylite]] (968-1054), who fell asleep on [[November 8]]