The old man, Abba John, priest of the monastery of the Eunuchs told us also this story. “When Abba Sergius was a hermit in the (desert of) Ruba, after having left Sinai, he sent a young monk to the monastery to be baptized. As we asked the reason why he should be baptized. Abba Sergius, the servant of that Abba Sergius, explained to us: “This man came (to our place), begging to stay with us in the deserts, and I received him, as (was my duty as) a servant. I admonished him at length not to devote himself to this kind of life without previous tests, but as I recognized the stubbornness of his purposes, on the next day I took him to the old man. As soon as the old man saw him, before I had time to say a word, he drew me aside, and asked: “What does this brother want?” to which I answered: “He begs to live with us”. Then the old man said to me: “Believe me, brothers, the man has never be baptized’. So please take him to the monastery of the Eunuchs and have him baptized in the holy Jordan”. I was stunned by these words and questioned the brother about himself and his origin. He answered that he came from the West, his parents ware pagan and he did not know whether he had been baptized or not. So we instructed him in the faith and had him baptized in the holy Jordan, and he remained in the monastery, giving thanks to God.”
(transl. Leah Di Segni)