Saint Antioche

The spiritual landscape of the early church was often defined by the desert and the hermitage, even within the bounds of civilization. For the man who would become the shepherd of Lyons, a defining moment occurred not in a cathedral, but on a road. His life was marked by a profound humility that sought out wisdom in the most unlikely of places. While still serving in the order of priests, he undertook a long and arduous journey to visit Saint Justus, his bishop, who was then living in a hermitage. This act of pilgrimage speaks volumes about the character of the man who would one day bear the weight of the episcopal office; he did not seek comfort, but rather the spiritual counsel of a mentor who had withdrawn from the world to dwell in solitude.