Saint Hilarion: A Vegan Healer in the Desert. By Dr. Chapman Chen

Summary: Saint Hilarion (291-371) was a renowned vegan anchorite and monk who is considered the founder of monasticism in Palestine. Born in Tabatha, near Gaza, to pagan parents, he converted to Christianity while studying in Alexandria. Inspired by the ascetic life of Anthony the Great, Hilarion spent most of his life in the desert, where he committed himself to a vegan diet strictly composed of plants, consuming only figs, bread, vegetables, and only the bare minimum required to preserve his health. He also declared that anyone unwilling to work should not eat. He is known for his miracles, healing the sick, and exorcising demons. Hilarion's life and works were documented by Saint Jerome, who greatly admired him. His feast day is celebrated on October 21st.   

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1. Younger Years of Studies

While still in his younger years, Saint Hilarion (291-371) already exhibited signs of possessing a profoundly spiritual disposition. Recognizing this, his relatives chose to send him to Alexandria, Egypt, so he could pursue advanced learning. Hilarion had been born to idol-worshipping parents in a small settlement situated south of the Gaza region in Palestine. It was during his time of study in Egypt that he embraced Christianity.

2. Following St. Anthony in the Egyptian Desert

Upon completing his education, he felt a calling to venture into the Egyptian desert to reside with a wise elder about whom he had heard much—this elder being Saint Anthony. While living alongside Saint Anthony, Hilarion emulated his ascetic discipline as well as his vegetarian way of life. A few years later, Hilarion returned to Palestine, aspiring to live a life of silent and solitary contemplation. It was upon his arrival home at age 15 that he learned of his parents' passing. Although they had left him an inheritance, he chose to reject it entirely, distributing it among his siblings and the impoverished.

3. Going Vegan in the Desert

Hilarion then journeyed back to the desert, establishing his dwelling in a desolate area between a sea and a swamp, where he lived an extremely austere existence within a small cell. He sustained himself by cultivating the land and weaving baskets, believing that rigorous labor was crucial for spiritual elevation. Hilarion declared that anyone unwilling to work should not eat. He committed himself to a diet strictly composed of plants, consuming only figs, bread, vegetables, and only the bare minimum required to preserve his health. In later years, he subsisted on grain soaked in water, dry bread with salt, and the extract of herbs, and eventually, as his eyesight began to deteriorate, he sustained himself on vegetable oil.

4. Performing Miracles to Heal the Sick

Hilarion remained in the desert for the majority of his life, traveling only once to Jerusalem. He undertook this pilgrimage out of reverence for the church that he cherished. Nonetheless, he adhered to his belief that the worship of God was not limited to a single location. After spending two decades in the desert, his wisdom had deepened so greatly that many were drawn to him. Among the pagans, healers of the sick sought his assistance, as he was known for his ability to cure chronic illnesses and heal those afflicted by bites from serpents and insects. He also had the power to heal by blessing oil and applying it to wounds. Over time, he aided the blind in regaining sight, enabled barren women to conceive, alleviated fevers in the young, and restored strength to the weak.

5. Seclusion in Cyprus 

As Saint Hilarion advanced in age, he yearned for greater solitude and peace, yet throngs of people continued to seek him. He felt an increasing desire to live in anonymity, leading him on a lifelong journey in pursuit of seclusion. He traveled to Egypt, Sicily, Greece, and Cyprus, but news of his arrival always preceded him, and crowds eagerly gathered wherever he went, longing for his wisdom and healing powers. Due to the sheer number of those seeking his assistance, he was never able to attain complete solitude. However, he eventually found a degree of tranquility in Cyprus, where he remained until reaching the age of 80. He spent his final years healing the afflicted, praying for the oppressed, and maintaining a diet entirely free of violence, never consuming more of God’s provisions than was necessary for his modest way of life.

References

Butler, Alban (1997). Lives of The Fathers, Martyrs and other Principal Saints. Volume IV. Great Falls, Montana: St. Bonaventure Publications.

Roberts, Holly H. (2004). “Saint Hilarion”, Vegetarian Christian Saints. Manhattan: Anjeli Press, pp. 24-25. https://archive.org/details/vegetarianchrist0000holl

Thurston, Herbert (1956). Butler’s Lives of the Saints, Volume II. New York: PJ. Kennedy & Sons.

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