St. Moses, the Black

Saint Moses, the Black, was a desert monk, born around 330. He was an Ethiopian of great physical strength and unruly character. Moses was a big man and his enormous strength was well known. He belonged to a band of professional thieves and robbers in Egypt.

Fearing eventual death from his Ethiopian master, or other criminals, Moses ran away into the Scete Desert. No regular people were there, only poor hermits with nothing worth stealing. The hermits converted Black Moses to Jesus, yet his former bad ways held on to him. In order to fight harder for Jesus, Moses moved further into the desert.

He was chosen for priesthood, and at his ordination, the bishop remarked to him, “Now the black man is made white”. Moses replied, “Only outside, for God knows I am all black within.” St. Moses The Black feast day is August 28th.

St. Moses the Black, pray for us.