Saint Athanasius the Apostolic

Saint Athanasius was born in Alexandria around 296 AD and became one of the greatest defenders of the Christian faith in history. He was a deacon at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, where he played a key role in drafting the Nicene Creed — the statement of faith that all Christians recite today. The Council declared that Jesus is truly God, of the same substance as the Father — "homoousios."

After becoming Bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius spent most of his life fighting a heresy called Arianism, which denied the full divinity of Christ. The Arian party was powerful — it had the support of emperors, bishops, and armies. Athanasius was exiled five times from his see, sometimes for years. Yet he never wavered. His motto became famous: "Athanasius contra mundum" — "Athanasius against the world."

But Athanasius and the truth prevailed. The Nicene Creed he helped write is still recited by billions of Christians — Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant — every week. He also wrote the first ever list identifying the 27 books of the New Testament, and his biography of St. Anthony inspired thousands to become monks. He died in peace in 373 AD after fifty years as bishop. His legacy is the very definition of Christian faith.