St. Elpidius the Cappadocian

Feastday: September 2
Death: 4th century

Hermit of Cappadocia. He spent twenty years in a cave there With many disciples joining him. Elpidius' relics were enshrined in a town in the marches of Ancona, Italy, now called Sant' Elpidio. He is depicted with a vine leaf in winter.

Abbot and saint

Saint Elpidius the Cappadocian (Italian: Sant'Elpidio, Santo Abate Elpidio) (4th century) was an abbot and saint of Asia Minor. Tradition states that he lived in a cave in Cappadocia for twenty-five years. Disciples, such as Eustace (Eustachio) and Ennesius (Ennesio), gathered around him.

Veneration

The village of Cluana, in the Marches of Ancona, acquired Elpidius' relics in the 7th century in exchange for the donation of a piece of land. The relics of Elpidius and his companions Eustace and Ennesius were consigned to the local inhabitants, and the town later acquired the new name of Sant'Elpidio a Mare. The relics of Elpidius are considered to have saved the town from a Lombard siege; tradition states that the saint appeared in the sky asking the inhabitants to defend the village.