Saint Panteleimon lived in the late 3rd century. A native of Nicomedia, his mother wished for him to be raised a Christian. When she died young, his pagan father sent him to be educated as a physician. He was befriended by Saint Hermolaus, a priest, and...

In this icon, painted by Bulgarian iconographer Georgi Chimev, the Forerunner holds his own beheaded head on a platter while he holds a cross, signs and symbols of his martyric death. While this icon can be used on the many feasts of Saint John...

This icon is painted in the traditional Byzantine style, featuring Saint Paul holding the Gospel that he preached as the Apostle to the nations. The rich blue background makes it a stunning rendition of this holy Apostle. Originally named Saul, Paul was...

This unique icon of Saint George is a portrait-style icon, featuring a close-up view of his face. Saint George "the Trophy-bearer" was born in Cappadocia, Asia Minor (modern Turkey), in the third century and raised as a Christian. About age 20, he...

This finely-painted icon of the holy priest-monk Saint Paisios of Mount Athos is by the hand of American iconographer Mark Fiorenzo. It depicts the holy saint in his monastic habit, wearing the Great Schema and his distinctive knit cap. He holds a...

This icon of the holy priest-monk Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia is by the hand of American iconographer Mark Fiorenzo. It shows the holy saint in his monastic garments, priestly stole and cuffs, and his distinctive knit cap. He holds the book of the...

This icon of the great poet and hymnographer Saint Ephraim the Syrian is by the hand of American iconographer Mark Fiorenzo. It shows the holy saint in his monastic clothing and distinctive head covering. He holds a scroll with the beginning of his...

The Apostle and Evangelist John was especially loved by Christ for his love and purity, and with Peter and James, was one of the closest Apostles to Him. He witnessed the Transfiguration and was the only Apostle to follow Christ to the very Cross, where...

The Apostle and Evangelist Luke was not one of the Lord’s twelve original disciples. A Gentile physician from Antioch, he is counted among the Seventy Apostles. He was a follower of Saint Paul, and traveled with him and Saint Peter throughout the...

The Apostle and Evangelist Mark (also called John Mark) is the author of the Gospel of Mark. According to Church tradition, he was the young man who was seized by soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane and fled away naked (Mark 14:51-52). He was a...

The Apostle and Evangelist Matthew (also named Levi) was the brother of James Alphaeus. He was a tax collector until he was called by Christ. He was the first to write a Gospel, and he wrote in Hebrew. The theology of his Gospel is aimed at the Jews,...

The Apostle Andrew "the First-Called," was the brother of Saint Peter. He had been a disciple of Saint John the Baptist, but went to follow Christ when Saint John called Him "the Lamb of God," becoming the first disciple. After the Lord's ascension into...

This contemporary Byzantine icon depicts Saint Gabriel (Urgebadze) the Fool for Christ. A renowned Georgian saint, he endured brutal persecution during Soviet rule and lived a long faithful life as an ascetic. His relics and intercessions have long been...

Saint Nicholas was born in the third century in the city of Patara. His wealthy Christian parents died when he was young, and he gave his inheritance to the poor. Devoting himself to the Church, Nicholas was eventually ordained Bishop of Myra...

This icon is a reproduction of the Cathedral Shrine to St. Raphael. Originally commissioned prior to his becoming a saint, the icon was later corrected after his glorification in 2000. An interesting feature of this icon is the engolpion (panagia) that...

This is an original and unique icon from Saint Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral. It depicts Saint Raphael of Brooklyn, the founding cleric of the Cathedral community in 1895, and Saint Tikhon of Moscow, who actually consecrated the old Saint...

Painted in the beautiful decorative style of ancient Byzantine manuscripts, this striking icon features the Lord Jesus standing in the center as a Teachers. His students, the Apostles, stand round about Him, receiving His words. The Prophets and...

Saint John became archbishop of Alexandria in 608. He fought against heresy throughout his episcopacy, but he is especially remembered for his generosity to the poor. He is also referred to as John the Almsgiver. He reposed in 619, at the age of 64...

The Apostle James, son of Zebedee, was one of the twelve Apostles and the first to be martyred, by Herod in AD 44. Sometimes he is called "James the Greater" to distinguish him from "James the Lesser," and also "the son of thunder." He was the older...

Saint Menas the Wonderworker is one of the best-known Egyptian saints throughout the world. He was a soldier in the Roman army, and died a martyr about the year 309 when he refused to renounce his faith in Christ. His feast is celebrated on November 11...

The Three Holy Youths Ananias, Misael, and Azarias were among the Jews who were taken to Babylon in the sixth century BC. King Nebuchadnezzar took them into his royal household where they served, along with the Prophet Daniel. They were given Persian...

The Prophet Joel lived some 800 years before Christ. One of the Minor Prophets, he prophesied of the coming of the Holy Spirit. He is commemorated on October 19.

Eight days after the Resurrection, we celebrate the "excellent unbelief of Thomas," in the words of one Vesperal hymn for the feast. His doubting and unbelief led the Lord to offer proof, which brings all of us to the knowledge of the risen Savior as...

Gideon was appointed by God as one of the Judges of Israel during the Old Testament. His feast is celebrated on September 26, and he is also remembered among the Old Testament righteous on the Sunday of the Forefathers in December.

The Prophet Jonah (or Jonas) lived in the 8th century before Christ. He prophesied to the Israelites and the Ninevites, calling all to repentance. He also foretold of the coming Messiah. Jonah was eaten by a sea creature and spent three days in...

The Church has received the tradition of the conception of the Mother of God from the ancient Fathers of the Church. The Virgin Mary was born to her parents about 16 or 17 years before the birth of Christ. Her father Joachim was descended from the...

John the Evangelist did not only author a Gospel, but was a much-beloved Apostle and minister of Jesus. He and his brother James were both fishermen and both called by Jesus at the same time and place. Jesus also gave him the surname Boanerges,...

According to Church tradition, after the bodily death of Mary the Theotokos, she was buried by the Apostles. But Thomas was delayed, and he desired to look upon her face one last time. When the tomb was opened, her body was gone (for Christ had already...

Like St. Mark,  St. Luke was not one of the Twelve Apostles, but was one of the the four Evangelists. He was a Gentile, not a Jew, born in Antioch. He was a physician by profession. Luke became a disciple of St. Paul and traveled with Paul and...

According to Church tradition, after the bodily death of Mary the Theotokos, she was buried by the Apostles. But Thomas was delayed, and he desired to look upon her face one last time. When the tomb was opened, her body was gone (for Christ had already...

While not himself one of the Twelve Apostles, the Evangelist St. Mark is said to have been present at Jesus’ arrest. In the Gospel of Mark, the “young man” who ran away from the scene, and apparently watched the Crucifixion from...

This historic Byzantine icon of Christ Calling Peter and Andrew depicts the scene as recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 4, Mark 1, John 1). This relatively simple, unadorned icon movingly depicts Christ's call to Andrew and Peter to leave their nets and...

Saint Stephen suffered during the iconoclasm of Emperor Leo the Isaurian (716-41). He defended the veneration of icons, and for this he was put on trial and imprisoned. In prison, he and over 300 other defenders of the icons organized a...

Matthew the Evangelist was also called Levi. As one of the Twelve Apostles, he witnessed the works and miracles of Jesus, and is traditionally held to have described those in the Gospel of his name eight years after the Ascension. When he was called...

Saint Nilus (or Neilos/Neil/Nil) was a disciple of Saint John Chrysostom and one of his greatest defenders when he was persecuted by the Empress Eudoxia. About the time of Chrysostom's exile, Nilus and his son went to live at Mount Sinai. There he...

The Seven Sleepers were a group of young soldiers who confessed their faith in Christ before the Emperor Decius. They were allowed to go free, and they fled to the caves to hide. As they prayed in preparation for martyrdom, they were discovered by...

Saint Paisios the Great was an Egyptian monastic father in the 5th century. His feast is celebrated on June 19.

Saint Vladimir was the grandson of Saint Olga, who became a Christian at Constantinople. Vladimir's father Svyatoslav divided his kingdom among his three sons. Vladimir, at that time a fierce pagan, was granted the principality of Novgorod. He...

This early 19th century Greek icon depicts the life and martyrdom of Saint George. It was painted in 1823, in the midst of the Greek war of independence, and surely brought strength and inspiration to those who viewed it. George was a soldier of noble...