Saint John Maron I

From Maronite History

Saint John Maron I (?-c.410) was a Maronite ascetic who is widely considered to be the father of the Maronite religion.

The only written account describing the ascetic life of John Maron is a brief one in Religiosa Historia, written by Theodoret. In it Theodoret tells about Maron climbing to the top of a mountain in the district of Cyrus, and dedicated an abandoned pagan temple to the worship of God. He then became known for his piety and healing power which attracted people from all over Syria. Upon his death there was a dispute over his body, which ended when one of the groups took possession of it and built a temple over its burial site.

In Antioche Païenne et Chrétienne, A. J. Festugière writes that Maron was the first in Syria to live in the open, and that others, including Stylite monks, were influenced by him to do the same. This connection between the Maronites and the Stylites is, however, disputed.

Sources

• Matti Moosa - The Maronites in History (Syracuse University Press, 1986).