In the Catholic church, the saint remembered on 1/15 is St. Paul the Hermit (aka Paul of Thebes), depicted above. He is also called "the first hermit." St. Paul the Hermit was reportedly born in Egypt, orphaned at 15, and was considered devout at a young age. According to American Catholic's website, his seclusion began out of fear, and he stayed much longer than intended:
During the persecution of Decius in Egypt in the year 250, Paul was forced to hide in the home of a friend. Fearing a brother-in-law would betray him, he fled in a cave in the desert. His plan was to return once the persecution ended, but the sweetness of solitude and heavenly contemplation convinced him to stay.
He went on to live in that cave for the next 90 years. A nearby spring gave him drink, a palm tree furnished him clothing and nourishment. After 21 years of solitude a bird began bringing him half of a loaf of bread each day. Without knowing what was happening in the world, Paul prayed that the world would become a better place.American Catholic's biography of St. Paul the Hermit also admits that we do not know how much of this story is true, and how much is fabled. His story is, however, entwined with and upheld by St. Anthony the Great, the far more famous hermit.
In the Greek Orthodox church, the saint celebrated today is St. John the Cave Dweller. I wasn't able to find as much about this saint, but I've included a portion of the reading from the the goarch.org site. Go here to find the rest of the reading.
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