St. Simeon Stylites

Sometimes people do strange and bizarre things in order to show their love and devotion to God.
Today is remembered in some parts of the world as the Feast Day of St. Simeon Stylites, because when it comes to self-denial, he takes home the prize. This is the guy who left home to join a cloister, but he was soon dismissed because of his self-torture techniques. He also moved to the desert of Syria and lived with an iron chain on his feet. Then it gets better, he had himself buried up to his neck for a few months.
Perhaps he is most famous for his next stunt. For thirty years, Simeon lived on top of a pillar or a column. At first it was only six feet high, then he had one made to reach sixty feet. There's no room for comfort on top of a pillar. He had a type of railing and a rope to keep him from falling when he fell asleep. People who followed him and his ways would bring him food and remove his waste by climbing a ladder. There's a really gross thing that happened with the rope. If you want to know about it, just ask.
With Simeon it wasn't all about living the high life. He preached daily about the importance of prayer, selflessness, and justice to the crowds who gathered to see him.