Saint Matrona lived in the fifth century. After the death of her husband, she entered the monastic life and founded a women's monastery in Constantinople, which became known for its strict rule of life and the holiness of the women who lived there...

Saint John Chrysostom (which means "Golden-Mouthed," after his eloquent speaking abilities) is one of the greatest preachers and theologians in Church history. His sermons and commentary on the scriptures are invaluable, and his bold preaching is...

St. Basil was born in Caesarea in 329, to a holy family full of saints. He went to complete his education in Athens, where he first met his lifelong friend St. Gregory the Theologian. Later, after he had spent some time in solitude, Basil became...

Saint Clement was converted to Christ through the Apostle Peter. He served as the third Bishop of Rome after the death of the Apostles, from about AD 91 to 99. His feast is celebrated on November 23 in the West, November 24 by the Greeks, and November...

Saint Gregory was born in 329 in Cappadocia. After his studies, he suffered in a shipwreck and feared for his soul, as he was unbaptized. God spared him, and arriving in Athens, he joined his friend Basil the Great. They lived as monastic brothers in...

Saint Athanasius was born to a Christian family in Alexandria in 295. He was ordained the bishop of Alexandria before he reached his thirtieth birthday, and became a leader of the Church even before that.  At the time that Athanasius was...

Saint Sergius (in Russian, Sergei or Sergey) was from the Moscow region. Born in 1314, his parents died young and he withdrew into the wilderness to live in prayer. Although he had no monastic training, he was spiritually strong and never fell into a...

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...

Saint Gregory was born in 329 in Cappadocia. After his studies, he suffered in a shipwreck and feared for his soul, as he was unbaptized. God spared him, and arriving in Athens, he joined his friend Basil the Great. They lived as monastic brothers in...

This 19th century Russian lithographic icon depicts All Saints of Mount Athos. The most prominent and famous Athonite monastic saints are visible in the foreground, and the haloes of countless more saints, known and unknown, stretch into the distance...

This late-15th century Russian icon features the holy hierarchs Saint James of Jerusalem, the Brother of the Lord; Saint Nicholas of Myra; and Saint Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch. (This icon was previously misidentified as the Three Holy...

Saint Moses the Ethiopian, also called Moses the Black, lived in Egypt during the fourth century. He was a slave, but after committing a murder, his master cast him out. Moses carried on with his sinful life, and was widely feared for his infamous...

Saint Tikhon was the first Patriarch of Moscow after the patriarchate was restored in 1917. But before this, he served as Bishop of the Aleuts and North America, and became an American citizen. He worked tirelessly to establish new churches in America,...

Saint Willibrord was the first missionary to the Low Countries, in particular the Frisians in the north of the Netherlands. Born in Northumbria (northern England) in 658, he entered the monastic life at a young age following the death of his mother. He...

Saint Seraphim is one of the Orthodox Church's most beloved holy elders. This icon was painted in the 19th century, featuring beautifully embossed gold and colored inlays. He was born in western Russia in 1754. According to tradition, he was sickly as...

Saint Brigit (also spelled Brigid or Bridget) was an Irish abbess of the convent of Kildare-Kil Dara, which means Cell of the Oak. She was well-known for her generosity and kindness, and for the many miracles she worked for those in need. Together with...

Saint Romanos (or Romanus) the Melodist was born in Syria in the late 5th century. After serving as a deacon in Beirut, he went on to Constantinople. While he served the Church passionately, he felt his voice was weak. He prayed to the Mother of God,...

Saint Raphael was born in Beirut in 1860. He spent the first decades of his life traveling throughout the Middle East and Russia, gaining knowledge and experience as a clergyman. Father Raphael was called to America and established a parish in...

Saint Porphyrios (or Porphyrius, or Porphyry), was the Bishop of Gaza 395-420, known from the account in his Life for Christianizing the recalcitrant pagan city of Gaza, and demolishing its temples. His feast day is celebrated on February 26.

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...

Saint Mary lived in the fifth century. As a girl, she left her Christian family in order to follow her pleasures in unbridled sinful living. At one point she joined a group of pilgrims to Jerusalem, selling herself in exchange for passage. When they...

Saint Alexis (or Alexios/Alexius) was a 4th-century Roman monastic who secretly left the secular world and lived in anonymity for much of his life. He is counted among the saints called "Fools-for-Christ." His feast is celebrated on March 17.

This 19th century Old Believer icon of the great penitent Saint Mary of Egypt comes from Mstera, Russia. She stands in the center, surrounded by scenes of her meetings with Abba Zosimas. She is commemorated on April 1, and in the Orthodox Church, the...

Saints Cyril and Methodius were 9th-century Greek brothers born in Thessalonica in Macedonia, in the Byzantine Empire. They dedicated their lives to the evangelism of the Russian peoples, and they are known as the Apostles to the Slavs. Saint Cyril is...

Saint John Climacus ("of the Ladder") is depicted as a hermit, writing his well-known book The Ladder of Divine Ascent, which is a staple of monastic thought and teaching. He is commemorated on March 30 and on the fourth Sunday of Lent in the Orthodox...

Saint Innocent served as a missionary among the native peoples of Alaska. Along with his wife and family, he was devoted to educating the Aleuts and bringing them to Christ. When his wife died, he became a bishop and served as Metropolitan of Moscow...

This 18th century icon shows the frontal depictions of the saints full-length. Blasius (or Blaise) is represented dressed as a bishop, with the Gospel book in his hands, martyrs Florus and Laurus are holding the crosses in their right hands.

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...

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...

"I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; you hold fast my name and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells." — Revelation 2:13 (RSV) Saint Antipas...

Saint Ignatius is known to have been a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist, and a contributor to the early ministry of the Church. He is also believed to have been that “little child” who Jesus used as an example of the...

Born to wealthy and devout Christian parents in Egypt, Anthony was always sensitive to the duties of faith. When his parents died, Anthony distributed his inheritance to the poor and went to live a life in solitude that set an example for...

Saint Alexis was a Hungarian-American Greek Catholic priest. After being mistreated by a series of bishops, he converted to Orthodoxy and worked tirelessly to bring other uniate communities into the Orthodox Church. Saint Alexis died in 1909. His feast...

Saint Joseph lived in Syria in the 19th century. He was a priest who worked as a translator and editor of the Church Fathers' writings, desiring to bring their teachings to the faithful. In 1860, a wave of anti-Christian Druze riots swept through...

Born to wealthy and devout Christian parents in Egypt, Anthony was always sensitive to the duties of faith. When his parents died, Anthony distributed his inheritance to the poor and went to live a life in solitude that set an example for...

This historic icon from the 1400s depicts a number of miracles and saints related to horses and other domestic livestock. As such, it is a moving reminder of God’s power revealed through creation, even through common animals.  The historic...

This icon depicts the many saints who shone forth at Mount Sinai and in the surrounding desert. Saint Catherine, the patron of the monastery at Mount Sinai, stands at the center of the fathers at the bottom; the prophet Moses stands at the top,...

One day a nun from the nearby convent of Diveyevo, coming to visit St. Seraphim at his hermitage in the woods near Sarov, found the old monk being visited by a bear. Terrified, the nun let out a scream. The staretz responded by patting the bear and...

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...

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