Venerable Father

Saint Moses the Ethiopian

A feared robber transformed by repentance into a gentle monk and spiritual father.

Life and Witness

Saint Moses was an Ethiopian who, before his repentance, lived as the leader of a band of robbers. His former life was marked by violence, but divine grace led him to abandon it and seek refuge among the monks of the Egyptian desert.

At Scetis, under the guidance of the holy fathers, Moses embraced obedience, fasting, prayer and profound repentance. He struggled for many years against the habits of his former life and became known for humility and mercy. When the fathers gathered to judge a brother, Moses carried a leaking sack of sand, showing that a person should not condemn another while his own sins follow behind him.

Saint Moses later became a priest and spiritual father. When raiders approached the monastery, he refused to flee, remembering the Lord’s word concerning the sword. He and the monks who remained with him received martyrdom. The Church honors him as a radiant example of the transforming power of repentance.

Feast Day

August 28 — Venerable Moses the Ethiopian of Scetis.