February 23 St. Alexander Akimetes

Also known as Alexander the Sleepless, he began his illustrious career by burning down a pagan temple. Instead of being tortured and killed, he managed to convert the governor to Christianity.  Next, he joined a band of robbers and turned them into a band of monks, converting their robbers’ den into a monastery. Feeling the need to make an even bigger splash, he formed bands of performing monks who traveled the countryside singing the Office of the Hours twenty fours a day.  I am not sure if the “the Sleepless” part of his name came from his lack of sleep, his monks lack of sleep or the villagers lack of sleep.