St. Stephen Savvaites (794)

Saint Stephen the Sabbaites was the nephew of Saint John of Damascus. He was born in Damascus in 725 AD.

From the age of ten, the saint entered the Lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified, where he lived for fifteen years. There he practiced the principles of monastic life with great strictness. After the death of his uncle, he left the organized monastic community and withdrew to a nearby desert.

He remained in isolation until his death in 794 AD, devoted to prayer and rigorous fasting. He was granted the gift of miracles and the blessing of knowing the day of his repose.

His memory is honored by the Church on July 13.