Saint Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria

May 2 – St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria; Confessor and Doctor of the Church; born c. 296; died 2 May, 373.

St. Athanasius, also known as Athanasius the Great and Athanasius the Confessor, was a bishop and doctor of the church. He is called the “Father of Orthodoxy,” the “Pillar of the Church” and “Champion of Christ’s Divinity.” Athanasius became one of the most dedicated opponents of the heresy of Arianism. Much of his life was a testimony to the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Over the course of his life, Athanasius was banished five times and spent 17 years of his life in exile for the defense of the doctrine of Christ’s divinity. However, the last years of his life were peaceful and he died on May 2, 373 in Alexandria.

St. Athanasius is often shown as a bishop arguing with a pagan, a bishop holding an open book or a bishop standing over a defeated heretic. He is a patron saint of theologians, and hailed to this day as a great Defender of the Faith. ~from Catholic Online

~Image: Anonymous Russian icon painter (before 1917) Public domain image (according to PD-RusEmpire) / Public domain