John the Dwarf was born in the town of
Thebes in
Egypt to poor
Christian parents. At the age of eighteen, he and an elder brother, moved to the desert of
Scetes where he became a disciple of
Pambo and a good friend of
Pishoy. He lived a life of austerity and taught several other monks his way of life, among them was
Arsenius the Great. After the departure of Pambo, John was ordained a priest by
Pope Theophilus and became abbot of the monastery he founded around the Tree of Obedience. When the
Mazices invaded
Scetes in 395, John fled the Nitrian Desert and went to live on
Mount Colzim, near the present city of
Suez, where he died. In 515, the relics of John the Dwarf were moved to the
Nitrian Desert. His feast is celebrated on October 17 in the
Roman Catholic Church, on 20
Paopi at the
Coptic Orthodox Church and on November 9 in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Monastery of Saint John the Dwarf in
Scetes is now recognized by the Coptic orthodox church. John lived on only
flatbread and
vegetables his entire life and could eat one meal a day. ==Legend==