Athanasius

Saint Athanasius, who is named after the Immortality of Christ our God, lived the life of an angel on earth in the fourth century A.D. He was a native of Egypt who at a young age entered into the service of the Church, where he advanced through the ranks, distinguished always by the keenness of his intellect and the strength of his will. As the Patriarch of Alexandria during the Arian controversy, Saint Athanasius was a vocal and fervent defender of the Orthodox teaching that Jesus Christ was the divine Word of God, co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This Father of the Church suffered greatly for his adherence to the Apostolic Faith concerning Christ, and more than once was forced to go into exile and hiding. He died in 373 A.D. and found rest from his many trials and struggles.