Saints

These martyrs were Roman soldiers who were rounded up in the year 320 for being Christians. They were condemned to death and were left naked on a frozen lake in winter. The guards prepared hot baths and tempted the soldiers to renounce Christ and live,...

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...

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 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...

This stunning icon of Saint George is from the iconostasis at Saint Nicholas Anthiochian Orthodox Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It features Saint George on horseback outside a city, famously slaying the dragon while an angel places the crown of...

Saint Gregory was elected as the 63rd Pope of Rome after the death of the Apostles in the year 590. He was known for his writings, especially the Dialogues, and his almsgiving. He initiated the first major missionary effort among the Anglo-Saxons. He...

Aaron was the brother of Moses. While God assigned the task of Israelite leadership directly to Moses, Aaron became an important leader in his own right.  At his first encounter with God, Moses expressed concern that he was not well-spoken enough...

This stunning Ethiopian icon of St. George depicts the renowned soldier of Christ in combat with the dragon.  Saint George, sometimes called “the Trophy-bearer,” was born in the province of Cappadocia, Asia Minor (Turkey), in the third...

This detail from a large 16th century fresco depicts an Angel carrying a pair of ceremonial fans. On his back is the Epitaphion or Plashchanitsa, which represents the burial shroud of Christ and is used in the solemn services of Holy Friday and Holy...

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...

From the years 527 to 565, Saint Justinian the Great reigned as the Roman Emperor. During his reign, tens of thousands of pagans were baptized into Christ and the pagan schools of Athens were closed. Some ninety missionary churches were built to...

This beautiful icon depicts the Apostle Peter, one of Christ’s original 12 disciples. Called from his life as a fisherman, he became a ‘fisher of men’ and was known for his outspokenness, courage, and humility. After Pentecost, he...

Saint George, sometimes called “the Trophy-bearer,” was born in the province of Cappadocia, Asia Minor (Turkey), in the third century and raised as a Christian. About age 20, he joined the Roman army under the emperor Diocletian,...

Saint Thekla (also spelled Thecla) was born into a pagan noble family just sixteen years after the Ascension. When she was eighteen, she became a disciple of St. Paul against the wishes of her mother and fiancé. Despite the objections of her...

An angel is a messenger of God, and a being which has stood before God and praised Him from a time before human comprehension. We cannot fully grasp what an angel's exact nature is, but we can understand an angel's function on earth. In icons,...

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...

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...

This unique Russian icon depicts Saint Nicholas with Sword and Scenes.  Serving as Bishop of Myra, Saint Nicholas obeyed the word of scripture, to "do justice for the orphan and defend the widow" (Isaiah 1:17). He holds a sword, a symbol of...

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.

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...

This unique Byzantine icon depicts the Archangel Michael in his role as warrior and interceder for the Church. In the traditional style of the 17th century, he tramples down death (the old man) while preserving the soul of the faithful in his left hand,...

This historic Byzantine icon depicts Saint Michael as he fulfills the prophecies of the Apocalypse of St. John in Revelation 20. Portrayed on horseback, he carries a spear that he holds triumphantly over an opening to the abyss or lake of fire. He bears...

Salaphiel (also translated as Salathiel) in the Hebrew language means Intercessor of God. One of the eight traditional archangels, he is named in the book of III Esdras, where he encourages the Prophet Esdras. His hands are crossed in a...

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

The Elder Simeon the Stylite was born in Cappadocia in the lat 4th century. The son of Christian parents, he was obedient and a dedicated worker. While still a boy, he was struck by the singing of the Beatitudes in church. With the help of a trusted...

  Saint Ambrose was born in Gaul in the year 340 and became a member of the Roman Senate as Governor of Milan. When the Arian bishop of Milan died, the Orthodox and Arians fought over who would succeed him. Ambrose, desiring to maintain peace, tried...

Also known as Nathanael, St. Bartholomew is traditionally held to have been one of the younger Apostles, and followed Christ with a simple, cheerful faith. After the Ascension, he ministered through Syria and Asia Minor alongside St. Philip, and 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...

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...

This infanticidal slaughter was ordered by Herod, who was afraid of losing power to the one called "King of the Jews" by the Magi. Soon after the birth of Christ, all the male children in the Bethlehem region under two years of age were murdered. Mary...

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...

Saint Dionysius was born in 1547 on the island of Zakynthos. He entered the monastic life at age 21, and became a priest a few years later. Eventually he became Archbishop of the Aegean. Even during his lifetime he was regarded by many as a living...

Saint John (surnamed Mansur, later called Chrysorroas, "the Golden Stream" for his writing) was born in Damascus, Syria, late in the 7th century. (This was soon after the Umayyad dynasty took control of the region from the Eastern Roman Empire.) His...

Maximus was born in the year 580 AD in Constantinople. He was raised as a pious Christian and received a thorough education. He eventually attained a high position in the government of the time, serving as the secretary and counselor of the emperor...

This historic Russian icon depicts the Archangel Garbiel, the chief liaison between God and man. He is clothed in brilliant orange and purple deacon's vestments, speaking of his mediating role. He holds a reed in his left hand, symbolizing the authority...

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

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...

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 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...