Saints

This beautiful historical icon of Righteous Noah depicts him holding the ark that he constructed based on God’s instructions.  This historic icon from the Holy Mountain, Mt. Athos, captures the humility and holiness of this renowned saint of...

Saint Ambrose was born in Gaul about the year 340, and served as a member of the Roman Senate. In those days, the bishop of Milan was a follower of the heretic Arius. When the bishop died and the time came to elect his successor, violence broke...

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...

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...

This 13th century icon from Mount Sinai depicts Saint Paul, a chief of the Apostles and defining evangelist of the early Church. Originally named Saul, Paul was a Jew and a Pharisee. He was a leader of Christian persecutors, and was responsible for the...

This touching 19th century Russian icon depicts the Martyr Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope, and Love (in Slavonic: Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov). They lived near Rome in the 2nd century. Under the reign of Hadrian, they were found to be Christians...

Saint Demetrios (or Demetrius) was born in Thessaloniki in the third century. He was a soldier in the Roman army and exhibited every Christian virtue. During the persecution of the emperor Diocletian, Demetrios was imprisoned. While in prison he spoke...

Saint Spyridon was from Cyprus, and he worked as a shepherd. After the death of his wife, he was appointed Bishop of Trimythus, and he attended the First Ecumenical Council. There he refuted the Arians using his simple wisdom. God granted him the gift...

Saint Eustathius (Eustace, Eustathios) was born in the late first century and was named Placidus. He was a famous general during the reigns of Emperors Titus and Trajan. While out hunting one day, he was pursuing a stag. The Lord caused a vision of the...

Joachim and Anna were the parents of the holy Virgin Mary. They were childless, and for this they were derided by their fellow Jews, who believed they must have been cursed. They both devoted themselves to prayer, and they each vowed to dedicate their...

The holy Martyr Alexandra was the wife of Roman Emperor Diocletian. She was a contemporary of Saint George, and she is commemorated with him on April 23.

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...

This 18th century Russian icon portrays the synaxis (assembly) of the holy Archangels. Including the well-known Holy Michael and Gabriel, and Raphael from Scripture, it also includes three other archangels known from Holy Tradition–Uriel,...

Christ is crucified, and below the Cross stand the Theotokos and St. John. Around the border are a number of saints, including John the Baptist, Apostles Peter and Paul, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian, Great Martyrs George and...

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,...

This detail from a  16th century fresco depicts a very unique Tetramorph of the Four Evangelists. A Tetramorph is a symbolic combination of four figures. In this icon, the traditional symbols of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are combined into...

St. 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 to Jesus at the same time and place. Jesus also gave him the surname "Boanerges,"...

While Elijah and Elisha are both notable for their prophetic deeds, Isaiah (or Isaias), who appears in the Bible shortly after Elisha’s death, is a more traditional prophet of words. Isaiah advised Hezekiah, a God-fearing king, passing on...

This contemporary Byzantine icon depicts Saint Irenaeus of Lyons. Living in the second century, he was baptized and discipled by Saint Polycarp. A faithful son of the Church, he wrote against heresies, including the Gnostics and Marcionites. He was the...

Saint Marina the Great Martyr was from Antioch in Pisidia. She suffered under Diocletian in the 3rd century. She is commemorated on July 17. Margaret, Maggie, Megan, and Meghan are all forms of the same name.

The martyrs Adrian and Natalia (Natalie) were husband and wife from Nicomedia, and they suffered around the turn of the 4th century. Adrian was a pagan, but when he saw the bravery of the Christian martyrs, he declared himself to be a Christian. For...

This historic icon from Mt. Athos depicts the Old Testament Patriarch Jacob. Known as the man who wrestled with the Angel of God, his life was one of hardship and preparation. His and his children’s story takes up more than half of the book of...

Saint Dunstan was born in the southwest of England around the year 909. He was educated by Irish monks, and around the age of 25 he was ordained a priest. He lived as a hermit for nine years, until King Edmund appointed him the abbot of Glastonbury...

This beautiful contemporary icon depicts Saints Nicholas and Spyridon the Wonderworkers, Protectors of Those at Sea. Traditionally considered the protectors and patrons of those who travel by sea, they intercede for all of those who travel.  A...

Saint Hannah was the wife of Elkanah. She was deeply grieved by her barrenness, and she devoted herself to prayer in the temple. Once, as she was fervently praying in silence, the priest Eli thought she was drunk and rebuked her. But she poured out her...

In this 13th century icon from the Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai, Saint John Climacus ("of the Ladder"), the author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is depicted as a hermit in his distinctive cloak. He is commemorated on March 30 and...

Saint (Elder) Paisios was an Athonite monk, spiritual father, founder of monasteries, and prolific writer of many works that have been translated and read throughout the world. He reposed in 1994. The saint was glorified by the Ecumenical Patriarchate...

This exquisite 19th century fresco is from the Church of St. John the Baptist in Kratovo, Macedonia. It depicts the Angelic Host of Heaven of  archangels, cherubim, and seraphim, from the visions of Ezekiel. The iconographer captures the glory and...

Saint Nicholas of Zhicha (also commonly known as Saint Nikolai Velimirovich) was a 20th century Bishop and Confessor of the Faith who labored in America at the end of his life. He was born in Lelich, Serbia, on January 4, 1881 (December 23, 1880, OS)...

This contemporary Byzantine icon depicts St. Laurence of Rome in the beautiful robes of his diaconate.  Saint Lawrence (or Laurence) lived in the 3rd century. He was a companion of Pope Martyr St. Sixtus II, one of Rome's seven deacons at that...

Saint Sophrony was born to Orthodox parents in Russia in 1896 and was named Sergei Sakharov. As a child he prayed for long periods of time every day, and even experienced the Uncreated Light. As he came of age, he became a talented artist and attended...

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 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...

Ruth lived about the 13th century before Christ. She was the great-grandmother of David, the King of Israel. During a time of famine in Israel, Elimelech and Naomi of Bethlehem took their sons and traveled to the nearby country of Moab. Elimelech died,...

Saint John was born in 1871 in the Ryazan region of the Russian Empire. His father was a priest, and John followed in his footsteps, attending seminary. After marrying his wife, he was ordained a priest at the young age of 24. Having expressed interest...

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 is known for being a physician. He became a disciple of St. Paul and he travelled with Paul and Peter through the...

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...

Samuel’s prophecies were a driving force in the era after the Israelites had settled in one land. His conception and birth, after his then-barren mother Hannah offered her sorrow to God and asked for His mercy and blessing, foreshadows the...

This contemporary Byzantine icon depicts the Righteous Rebecca, bride of Isaac and mother of Esau and Jacob. As the grandmother of Jacob’s twelve sons, she figures prominently in Christ’s lineage. In addition, her story of trust and fidelity...