The
Episcopal Church of St. Paul in the Desert was named
for Saint Paul The Hermit who was the first of the
Desert Fathers. A lesser Saint, the only recorded
information on his life and religious influence
is from the original Latin account which was written
by Saint Jerome. In more recent years much of this
was updated and amplified with the story of the
whole movement of the Desert Monks in a book, the
Desert FATHERS , written by Helen Waddell and first
published in 1936.
Saint Paul was the first of these men who retired
to the Desert and spent their lives in solitude,
prayer and meditation. He was soon followed by a
large number of others, the best known of whom is
Saint Antony, a devotee of Saint Paul, who led the
largest community of these men in the Desert. They
became known as Anchorites which by dictionary definition
is "a hermit or recluse, one who retires to
a solitary place, specifically to devote himself
to religious duties."
The significance of this particular church being
named for this first desert monk is far deeper than
the mere fact that the parish is located in the
Desert community of Palm Springs. The true meaning
lies in the life of Saint Paul and the lives of
all the Desert Fathers. For though they contributed
little or nothing to the philosophy of religion,
they left much by their example of kindness, selflessness
and humility. Saint Paul by his personality expressed
in these and many similar qualities, influenced
all of life about him in the Desert, not only man,
but also the animals and possibly even the plant
life. As the first of the Desert monks he certainly
was the principal motivation for the whole movement
of these men who spent their lives in solitary meditation
and prayer.
The
Episcopal Church of St. Paul in the Desert was named
for Saint Paul The Hermit who was the first of the
Desert Fathers. A lesser Saint, the only recorded
information on his life and religious influence
is from the original Latin account which was written
by Saint Jerome. In more recent years much of this
was updated and amplified with the story of the
whole movement of the Desert Monks in a book, the
Desert FATHERS , written by Helen Waddell and first
published in 1936.
