Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church
Feast: May 12
Born: c. 310, near Eleutheropolis, Palestine
Died: 403, at sea near Salamis, Cyprus
Early Life and Conversion
Saint Epiphanius was born in the early 4th century in the region of Palestine, near the town of Eleutheropolis. Of Jewish descent, he converted to Christianity at a young age, likely under the influence of the desert hermits who had already begun to populate the region following the model of Saint Anthony. A man of remarkable intelligence and ascetic zeal, Epiphanius soon dedicated himself to the monastic life, founding a monastery in his native region.
His holiness and profound knowledge of Scripture attracted many disciples. He became a noted defender of the true Faith against heresies, distinguishing himself as a spiritual son of the Desert Fathers, deeply rooted in the purity of Christian doctrine and practice.
Bishop of Salamis
Around 367, Epiphanius was chosen bishop of Salamis (also known as Constantia) on the island of Cyprus. He held the position for more than thirty years, shepherding his flock with great diligence, teaching sound doctrine, and remaining zealous for orthodoxy in both belief and practice. He combined the duties of bishop with his monastic discipline, never relaxing his personal austerities.
He was renowned for his charity and simplicity of life. Saint Jerome, who admired him greatly, called him a man of the apostolic age, clothed in apostolic virtue. Epiphanius was deeply respected throughout the Eastern and Western Church as a pillar of orthodoxy and holiness.
Defender of Orthodoxy
Epiphanius is best known as an indefatigable opponent of heresies, particularly Gnosticism, Arianism, Origenism, and other theological errors plaguing the 4th century. His chief literary work, the Panarion (also known as The Medicine Chest), catalogs and refutes eighty heresies from the time of Christ to his own day. It is one of the most important patristic testimonies to early Church doctrine and heretical movements, and it reveals the depth of his learning and concern for doctrinal purity.
In his later years, Epiphanius also involved himself in broader Church controversies, especially in opposition to Origenism, which was spreading among monastic communities in Egypt. Though his opposition sometimes led to conflict—such as his clash with Saint John Chrysostom in Constantinople—his zeal was always rooted in an uncompromising love for the truth and fidelity to apostolic tradition.
Death and Legacy
In 403, while returning to Salamis from Constantinople, Epiphanius died at sea. He was over ninety years old. The people of Cyprus received his body with great honor, and he was buried in the church of his episcopal city. Miracles were reported at his tomb.
Though not formally declared a Doctor of the Church, he is revered as such in the East and sometimes treated as such in the West due to the doctrinal precision and breadth of his writings. His feast is kept on May 12 in the traditional Roman calendar.
Spiritual Legacy
Saint Epiphanius stands as a towering witness to the spiritual and intellectual vigor of the early Church. His life exemplifies the harmony of monastic discipline, episcopal authority, and theological fidelity. In his rigorous fight against heresy, he reflects the Church’s maternal concern for the salvation of souls and the integrity of divine revelation.
Traditional Collect (from the Roman Martyrology)
O God, Who gavest to Thy people blessed Epiphanius as a minister of eternal salvation: grant, we beseech Thee, that he who on earth was a teacher of life may be our intercessor in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.