Didymus the Blind
4th century Alexandrian Christian theologian
Feast: 18 October (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Didymus of Alexandria lost his sight at four, yet became one of the most learned men of his age. As a young man he prayed not for bodily sight but for light of heart; St Anthony told him to rejoice in the spiritual sight he shared with the saints, and St Jerome called him 'the Seer'.
Learning by listening through long night vigils, he mastered the sciences and Holy Scripture and was placed at the head of the famous catechetical school of Alexandria. He died about 398, aged eighty-five.
The miracles
The Catholic Encyclopedia does not describe how he came to be honoured as a saint.
Why that counted as sanctity
A blind teacher who saw with the eyes of faith.
Connected on this site
- Evagrius Ponticus Saint Influenced by them
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Didymus the Blind
- Wikidata Q188232 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Didymus the Blind (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.