▁or ▁On ou fri os ▁( ), ▁v ener ated ▁as ▁Saint ▁On u ph ri us ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Catholic ▁Church es ; ▁V ener able ▁On u ph ri us ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Orth odox y ▁and ▁Saint ▁No fer ▁the ▁An chor ite ▁in ▁Oriental ▁Orth odox y , ▁lived ▁as ▁a ▁herm it ▁in ▁the ▁desert ▁of ▁Upper ▁Egypt ▁in ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁or ▁ 5 th ▁centuries . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁leg ends ▁On u ph ri us ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Des ert ▁F athers ▁who ▁made ▁a ▁great ▁impression ▁on ▁Eastern ▁spiritual ity ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁and ▁fourth ▁centuries , ▁around ▁the ▁time ▁that ▁Christian ity ▁was ▁emer ging ▁as ▁the ▁dominant ▁faith ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁many ▁Christians ▁were ▁inspired ▁to ▁go ▁out ▁into ▁the ▁desert ▁and ▁live ▁in ▁prayer ▁in ▁the ▁har sh ▁environment ▁of ▁extreme ▁heat ▁and ▁cold , ▁with ▁little ▁to ▁eat ▁and ▁drink , ▁surrounded ▁by ▁all ▁sorts ▁of ▁dangerous ▁animals ▁and ▁ro bb ers . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁uncertain ▁in ▁which ▁century ▁On u ph ri us ▁lived ; ▁the ▁account ▁of ▁Pap hn ut ius ▁the ▁As c etic , ▁who ▁encountered ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁desert , ▁forms ▁the ▁sole ▁source ▁for ▁our ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Saint ▁On u ph ri us . ▁ ▁Even ▁the ▁author ship ▁is ▁uncertain ; ▁" P ap hn ut ius ", ▁a ▁common ▁name ▁of ▁Egypt ian ▁origin