Orthodox New Year - St Giles the Hermit-Priest of Provence
September 1. Feast of St. Giles the Hermit-Priest of Provence and Septimania St. Giles, originally coming from a noble family in Greece in the 600s, was an holy priest and monk. The name "Giles" is a French form of the Greek name "Aegidius". Once when St. Giles came to church, he saw a sick man, who begged alms. St. Giles gave him his coat, and by a miracle the sick begger was healed. In time his parents reposed in the Lord However, he fled Greece to seek solitude in a distant land; he came to Arles, but, even in this city, so distant from his home, he left further, and came deep into the forest, where he dwelt unknown by man (but known by angels) for several years. Here in the solitude of his forest, he had the companionship of a kindly red deer, which by a miracle likened unto that of Adam in Paradise, gave him milk. St. Giles ate only the herbs of the forest, again living like Adam; for he would eat nothing, fish or otherwise, that was living. His wa...