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John the Silent
monk, formerly bishop of Colonia in Armenia
SaintResearchedDate unknown
Feast: 7 December (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
—
unknown
Died
—
unknown
Beatified
—
not on record
Canonised
—
not on record
Who they were
In Palestine, Saint John the Silent, or the Hesychast, who, having left the bishopric of Colonia in ancient Armenia, led in the laura of Saint Sabbas a monastic life of humble service to the brethren, of strict solitude and of silence.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
The Roman Martyrology remembers him on 7 December as the bishop who left his see in Armenia to live in silence and humble service to the brethren in the laura of Saint Sabbas.
Sources
- Roman Martyrology, 7 December (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Wikidata Q728844 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.