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Simeon the Holy Fool
Syrian monk
SaintResearchedPre-congregation
Feast: 21 July (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
522
Died
588
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Near Homs in Syria, Saint Simeon, called the Fool, who, moved by the Holy Spirit, desired to be thought foolish for Christ and despised among men.
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 21 July as a monk near Homs who wished to be thought a fool for Christ.
Sources
- Roman Martyrology, 21 July (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Wikidata Q1099483 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Simeon the Holy Fool (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.