An exercise that one of my Italian tutors prefers to use is to have the student write a paragraph, and then go over and correct it during the next day's session. For this weekend, my tutor asked me to write about 15 lines about St. Pacomius, because she had come across his name but had no idea who he is. I thought it might be appropriate and beneficial to share.
First, San Pacomio in Italiano (full disclosure: I never said it was good Italian):
San Pacomio, monaco e un fondatore del monachesimo occidentale, è nato in 292 a Tebe, Eggito. I suoi parenti sono stati pagani,e lo non ha avuto una esperienza del cristianesimo fino al suo 20 (ventiesimo) anno quando l'escercito romano lo ha arruolato e incarcerato. I christiani lo portavano un cibo e un'acqua. Quando San Pacomio ho liberato, lui ho convertito al cristianesimo e battezzato. Lui ho diventato un eremita e un studente di Palaemon da 7 anni.
Dopo il periodo con Palaemon, San Pacomio è andato nel deserto d'egiziano. Lui lì è vitato fino a sentito una voce che lo ha ordinato costruire una casa per qualche altri ermiti vivare. San Pacomio ha fondato il suo primo monastero circa 320. I altri monachesimi si chiama “abba,” che voler diciamo “padre.”
San Pacomio ha fondato 9 monasteri in tutto. Il suo esempio ha ispirato qualche altri fondare i altri monasteri e scrivere regole monastice per iscritto. I monasteri si ho ingrandato in Eggito, del nord d'Africa, Palestina, e del ovest d'Europa.
San Pacomio predicava fortemente contro i Ariani. A causo di questo, Sant'Athanasio ho voluto ordinare San Pacomio nel sacerdozio in 333, ma lo ha refutato.
San Pacomio si è ammalato, ho scelto il suo successore, ed è morto in 348. Catholici, ortodossi, copti, e lutherani lo venerano e lo mettono nel suoi calendari liturgici.
Now, in English:
St. Pacomius, monk and founder of western monasticism, was born in 292 in Thebes, Egypt. His parents were pagans, and he had no experience of Christianity until his 20th year, when he was drafted into the Roman army and was imprisoned. The Christians brought him food and water. When St. Pacomius was freed, he converted to Christianity and was baptized. He became a monk and a student of Palaemon for seven years.
After the period with Palaemon, St. Pacomius went into the desert of Egypt. He lived there until he heard a voice that ordered him to build a home for other monks to live. St. Pacomius founded his first monastery around 320. The other monks called him “abba,” which means “father.”
St. Pacomius founded nine monasteries in all. His example inspired some others to found other monasteries and to write written monastic rules. Monasteries rose up in Egypt, North Africa, Palestine, and Western Europe.
St. Pacomius preached strongly against the Arians. For this reason, St. Athanasius wanted to ordain St. Pacomius into the priesthood in 333, but he refused.
St. Pacomius fell ill, chose his successor, and died in 348. Catholics, Orthodox, Copts, and Lutherans venerate him and place him on their liturgical calendars.
As an additional note, St. Pacomius' feast day is 9 May in our calendar.
(Picture in public domain from Wikimedia Commons)
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