# Saint Abracas

Source: https://coptic-lore-forge.lovable.app/wiki/saint-abracas — Coptic Orthodox Wiki (updated 2026-10-03)

Saint Abracas, also known as Abrakiyus, was a monk and ascetic from Upper Egypt, commemorated on 13 Kiyahk. The Coptic Encyclopedia records that he became a monk at the age of twenty and lived until seventy; its calendar names him “Father Abrakiyus (Abracas), ascetic.”

## Overview

**Saint Abracas**, also called **Abrakiyus**, is recorded in *The Coptic Encyclopedia* as a native of Upper Egypt who became a monk at twenty and lived until seventy; his feast day is **13 Kiyahk**.[^1] The encyclopedia’s calendar describes him as “Father Abrakiyus (Abracas), ascetic,” complementing the brief biographical notice’s identification of him as a monk.[^2]

The supplied evidence consists principally of this short biographical notice, a calendar entry, and index references connecting the two forms of his name.[^1][^2][^3][^4] Together, these establish his name, regional origin, monastic vocation, reported lifespan, and day of commemoration, but do not provide a detailed narrative of his life.[^1][^2]

## History and origins

### Upper Egyptian origin and monastic life

The biographical notice identifies Abracas simply as “a native of Upper Egypt,” without naming a town or village.[^1] It records two chronological details: he became a monk at the age of twenty and lived until the age of seventy.[^1] These ages place his entry into monastic life fifty years before the end of his reported lifespan, although the notice does not describe the intervening years.[^1]

His age at entry is therefore known more precisely than his historical setting: the supplied biographical notice gives neither a century nor dates of birth and death.[^1] It also names no monastery, teacher, disciple, or ecclesiastical office associated with him.[^1] The calendar’s designation “ascetic” adds a characterization of his religious life, but no account of particular ascetical practices.[^2]

## Names and terminology

The encyclopedia’s saints list explicitly gives the paired forms “Abracas, or Abrakiyus.”[^1] Its index confirms this equivalence through the cross-reference “Abrakiyus. See Abracas, Saint,” while the main index entry directs readers to page 2081 under “Abracas, Saint.”[^3][^4] These are alternative names for the same indexed saint, rather than competing identifications.[^1][^3]

The calendar reverses the order of the names, placing Abrakiyus first and Abracas in parentheses.[^2] Its wording preserves both the title “Father” and the description “ascetic”; the biographical list supplies the more explicit statement that he became a monk.[^1][^2]

## Liturgical commemoration

Abracas’s feast day is given as **13 Kiyahk** in the biographical list.[^1] The corresponding calendar entry names “Father Abrakiyus (Abracas), ascetic” alongside the martyrdom of Saint Barsanuphius and the dedication of the Church of Saint Misa’il.[^2] These entries share a calendar date, but the passage supplies no biographical connection between Abracas and the other commemorations.[^2]

The calendar distinguishes their forms of remembrance: Barsanuphius is explicitly commemorated for martyrdom, whereas Abracas is identified as an ascetic.[^2] Thus, the supplied accounts consistently present Abracas through his monastic and ascetical identity, without attributing a martyrdom narrative to him.[^1][^2]

## Sources and limits of the record

The biographical notice and calendar agree on the saint’s identity, while the index makes the relationship between his two names explicit.[^1][^2][^3] Their contributions are complementary: the notice preserves his origin and ages, the calendar records his commemoration, and the index provides a reference under his principal English name.[^1][^2][^4] A fuller account of his deeds, historical circumstances, or particular devotional traditions cannot be reconstructed from these brief entries.[^1][^2]

## Frequently asked questions

**Who was Saint Abracas?**
Saint Abracas was a monk and ascetic native to Upper Egypt. The Coptic Encyclopedia states that he became a monk at twenty and lived until seventy.

**When is Saint Abracas commemorated?**
His feast day is 13 Kiyahk. The encyclopedia’s calendar lists him on that day as “Father Abrakiyus (Abracas), ascetic.”

**Are Abracas and Abrakiyus the same saint?**
Yes. The Coptic Encyclopedia gives Abrakiyus as an alternative name for Abracas, and its index directs readers from “Abrakiyus” to “Abracas, Saint.”

## Sources
[^1]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 7, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 119)
[^2]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 7, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 361)
[^3]: The Coptic Encyclopedia — Index, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 4)
[^4]: The Coptic Encyclopedia — Index, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 3)