Biography
Thomas of Bithynia
About Thomas of Bithynia
Thomas, also known as Dephourkinos, came from Bithynia and entered a local monastery while young. By the time an official named Galoliktos founded a community beside the Sagarisa River, Thomas was an experienced monk. The brethren chose him to lead it. His leadership was followed by a long period of withdrawal in the wilderness.
The church account associates that solitude with spiritual struggle, healing, and prophecy. Its principal episode concerns Emperor Leo the Wise. Unable to find Thomas at the monastery, the emperor sent a messenger carrying a question. The Life says Thomas met the messenger with an already sealed answer, before receiving the letter. This is a traditional story of supernatural knowledge, rather than surviving imperial correspondence. The notice does not give the date of his death, and no exact year is supplied here.
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