Saints

The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of his aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It was John who identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God...

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 afar,...

Saints Peter and Paul are celebrated together as the Holy and Glorious Leaders of the Apostles. Saint Peter was a zealous follower of Christ, and was the first to confess His Divinity. While the Apostle denied Christ after His arrest, the Lord forgave...

Saint Cyril was born in Alexandria in the year 376. He was instructed in the faith by his uncle Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria. Cyril succeeded to the patriarchal throne himself in 412. When Nestorius began teaching his heresy, Cyril was a...

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 held...

Also known as Isaac of Ninevah, he was born in Arabia in the early 7th century. As a young man he entered a monastery and devoted himself to the monastic life. Later in his life, he was ordained Bishop of Nineveh in the north of modern Iraq. After just...

Saint Cyrus was from Alexandria of Egypt. He attended university and became a physician, treating his patients free of charge and healing miraculously in the name of Christ. Under the persecutions of Diocletian, he fled to the Persian Gulf to join a...

Saint Lydia was a first-century “seller of purple,” an expensive, wine-colored fabric.  As described in Acts 16, Saint Paul received a vision in which a man pleaded with him to come to Macedonia. When he awoke, he immediately set out...

This icon is a beautiful contemporary Byzantine portrayal of the Old Testament Prophet Micah. Renowned for his prophecies of the coming Messiah and God’s redemption of His rebellious people, the Prophet Micah holds an important place in the...

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...

The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of his aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It was John who identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God...

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...

This contemporary Byzantine icon commemorates the Holy Prophet Micah. One of the minor prophets, he is renowned for his prophecies of the coming of St. John the Forerunner and the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He is commemorated onJanuary 5 and August 14. His...

  Saint Gabriel was born on March 22, 1684, in Zvierki (Zwierki, Poland). His parents, Peter and Anastasia, maintained their Orthodox faith despite the growth of Uniatism in the region. As a child, Gabriel preferred prayer and solitude rather than...

Saint 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 Saint Gregory the Theologian. Later, after he had spent some time in solitude, Basil...

This historic icon of the Apostle John the Theologian dates from the 14th century and depicts him holding his Gospel. St. John the Evangelist did not only author a Gospel, but was a much-beloved Apostle and minister of Jesus. He and his brother...

This beautiful example of Western iconography is part of the illuminated manuscript known as the Lindisfarne Gospel, which was produced in England in the early 8th century. We see Saint John writing his Gospel. The text at the top reads Imago...

This historic icon of the Apostle John the Theologian dates from the 15th century. It depicts him holding his Gospel while being overseen by an angelic visitor. St. John the Evangelist did not only author a Gospel, but was a much-beloved Apostle and...

  The Apostle Simon the Zealot is traditionally regarded as the bridegroom at the Wedding of Cana, where Christ performed His first miracle. After witnessing this, he became a zealous follower of Christ. After Pentecost, he traveled throughout...

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...

When the Forerunner was beheaded by Herod, his head was placed on a platter and given to his daughter at the request of her mother. This 19th century Russian icon depicts the Forerunner's sacred head, which is commemorated on several feast days during...

Saints Boris (in baptism, Romanus) and Gleb (in baptism, David) were sons of Saint Vladimir the Great Prince of Kiev. When their father was near death in the year 1015, their elder brother Svyatopolk planned to kill his brothers in order to seize power...

The details of St. Simon's role alongside Christ are mostly unknown, but he is traditionally said to have joined Christ after witnessing the miracle at the wedding at Cana, Simon's place of birth. His going to Jesus by his own choice, without being...

Saint Mark was born in Constantinople in 1392. He entered the monastic life as a young man, and he became a devoted student of the hesychastic teachings of Saint Gregory Palamas. Hesychasm is an Eastern Orthodox tradition of contemplative prayer, with...

Saint Tatiana lived in Rome in the early 3rd century. She was raised a Christian and served as a deaconess. After her prayers resulted in the miraculous destruction of various idols and pagan temples, she was arrested and brutally tortured. Her...

Saint Djan Darada was the Ethiopian eunuch baptized by the Apostle Philip. The Book of Acts (8:26-39) relates: Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza...

Saint Nino (also spelled Nina or Nune) was born in Cappadocia about the year 280. She was a kinswoman of Saint George. Her parents sold their possessions, moved to Jerusalem, and entered the monastic life, leaving Nino in the care of an old woman who...

Saint Clement was a monk, and later became bishop of Ancyra in Galatia. He suffered persecution for some 30 years until he was martyred under the reign of Diocletian and Maximian in 296. His feast is celebrated on January 23.

The renowned Russian Saint Juliana of Lazarevo lived in the 16th century. She was faithful as a noblewoman, spouse, mother, and daughter of the Church, modeling how to live a saintly life in the context of family and everyday concerns. She cared for...

Saint Rastislav was the second Prince of Great Moravia (today part of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary), reigning from 846 to 870. During his reign, he sought to free Moravia from the dominion of Eastern Francia under King Louis the...

Saint Sylvester served as the 32nd bishop of Rome after the death of the Apostles. He was not able to attend the First Ecumenical Council in 325 due to illness, but he sent representatives. He reposed later that year. His feast is celebrated on...

This historic icon from Mt. Athos depicts Saint Theodore the Studite.  Saint Theodore was born in Constantinople in 759. He entered the monastic life at a young age and became a deacon and priest, and eventually the abbot of the Studium monastery...

Saint Mocius was a priest in Amphipolis of Thrace. One day, Mocius entered the temple of Dionysius and overturned the altar while the proconsul was offering a sacrifice. He was subjected to torture and finally beheaded in Byzantium in the year 288. He...

Saint Philip II served as Metropolitan of Moscow (1566-68) during the reign of Tsar Ivan IV "the Terrible." He was born with the name Fyodor (Theodore) in 1507 to a leading Russian noble family. He grew up in close proximity to the royal court, but was...

The Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus, was the brother of the Apostle Matthew. After Pentecost, he and the Apostle Andrew preached throughout Palestine, healed the sick, and converted many to Christ. Saint James was finally crucified by pagans in Egypt...

Saint Marcian was born in Rome but was educated in Constantinople. After the death of his parents, he used his inheritance to build churches and help the poor. The Patriarch was impressed by his way of life, ordained him, and made him treasurer of the...