It’s not every day we hear about Orthodox saints from the Holy Land, but the story of St. Modestos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, is among the most inspiring of saintly lives. His parents were devout Christians, and before his arrival, they had about given up hope of ever having a child—their prayers were truly answered when Modestos arrived around A.D. 292 in their "home town" of Sebastia, Palestine. The infant came into the world under the cruel reign of the Roman Emperor Maximinian and during a period of heightened Christian persecutions. In fact, when he was only five months old he was taken away from his loving parents; his parents were, after a brief period of imprisonment, put to death. Shortly after, the tiny Modestos was taken to the imperial household, where he was placed in the custody of a childless couple in the royal retinue and raised in the pagan tradition.

When Modestos was thirteen years old, however, he learned that he had been baptized a Christian. This made him curious; he began to think about who he really was. He knew a goldsmith who was Christian, and sought his friendship, learning from the man about the faith and the holy traditions already developing in the relatively young Christian faith. Unfortunately, the goldsmith had two sons who were very jealous of their father’s friendship with Modestos, and they plotted to rid themselves of this "pious upstart" by selling him into slavery. Their plan worked, and he was sent to serve a master in Egypt, where he remained for seven years, during which time he managed to convert the master and his entire household to Christianity. Eventually, he was given his freedom and returned to Jerusalem.

Upon arriving again in the Holy Land, his heart’s deepest desire was to visit Mt. Sinai, where Moses had received the Ten Commandments from God. After this pilgrimage, he made his way to a monastery; there, he served the Lord with such love and intensity that those around him took notice. The elders of the monastery moved him toward ordination quickly, and soon after commissioned him as a missionary. After several years of devoted work in the vast peninsula of his homeland, he became the spiritual son of Patriarch Platon of Jerusalem. And some time later when this holy patriarch took ill, and was preparing to meet the Lord, he summoned Modestos to his chambers, along with leading members of the Church hierarchy. It was decided that because of his powerful love for God, his pious life, and certain signs the hierarchs beheld, Father Modestos should be named the spiritual successor to Patriarch Platon.

As time passed, Patriarch Modestos became more and more known—and more and more beloved—for his personal holiness and loving nature. It was also during these latter years of his life that his long-time devotion to God’s Creation intensified and blossomed, particularly concerning animals. He had a great affection for animals—he saw them as sublime and mysterious gifts from God. Often he would bless the livestock of the faithful, praying for their health and survival, and glorying in the vastness and beauty of all God made. In fact, he has been known for centuries as our patron saint of domestic animals.

Patriarch Modestos lived to be ninety-four years old, and served longer than any patriarch in history. During his time, the piety, wisdom and holiness of his flock flourished; under his direction, many Christian shrines that had been destroyed by the Persian hordes were restored to their original glory. Shortly after his passing, he was accorded the sainthood his holy, unassuming life so clearly warranted.