St. Athanasius the Great
c. 296-373
📅 Feast Day: May 2
📖 Life Timeline
Unknown
Born in c. 296
Unknown
Died — 373
Pre-
Canonized — Pre-Tridentine
✝ Biography
St. Athanasius the Great was Bishop of Alexandria from 328 to 373 AD and one of the most important theologians of the early Church. He was the principal defender of Nicene Orthodoxy against Arianism, attending the Council of Nicaea in 325 as a deacon. He was exiled five times by emperors who favored Arianism but each time was restored to his see. He wrote extensively on Christology, including 'On the Incarnation,' and compiled the first canonical list of New Testament books. His feast day is celebrated on May 2 in the Western Church and January 18 in the Eastern Church.
🛡 Patronage
Patron of: Orthodox theologians, those defending the faith against heresy, and the Coptic Orthodox Church.
💬 Words of the Saint
God became man so that man might become god.
📜 Key Facts
Born
c. 296
Died
373
Feast Day
May 2
Canonized
Pre-Tridentine
🕊 Legacy
Athanasius saved the doctrine of Christ's divinity. The Nicene Creed he drafted is recited by billions every Sunday. His 'On the Incarnation' remains a theological classic. He is called 'Father of Orthodoxy' in the Eastern Church.
📜 Personal Writings
Read excerpts from the saint's own words — their personal letters, spiritual writings, and teachings.
📖 On the Incarnation
On the Purpose of the Incarnation
He became man so that we might become god. The Word of God came into our world for a double purpose: to reveal the Father to us, and to make us partakers of the divine nature. He assumed our nature that He might restore it to its original dignity, and He died that we might live.
— St. Athanasius the Great
📖 On the Incarnation
On the Resurrection
The resurrection of the dead is the seal of our salvation. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen; and if Christ is not risen, then our faith is vain. But Christ is risen, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
— St. Athanasius the Great
Browse Other Saints
St. Mary, Mother of God
Jan 1
St. Joseph
Mar 19
St. Francis of Assisi
Oct 4
St. Therese of Lisieux
Oct 1
St. Padre Pio
Sep 23
St. Augustine of Hippo
Aug 28
St. Catherine of Siena
Apr 29
St. John of the Cross
Dec 14
St. Teresa of Avila
Oct 15
St. Maximilian Kolbe
Aug 14
St. Faustina Kowalska
Oct 5
St. Thomas Aquinas
Jan 28
St. Benedict
Jul 11
St. Ignatius of Loyola
Jul 31
St. Joan of Arc
May 30
St. Peter the Apostle
Jun 29
St. Paul the Apostle
Jun 29
St. John the Apostle
Dec 27
St. Stephen, First Martyr
Dec 26
St. John the Baptist
Jun 24
St. Jude Thaddeus
Oct 28
St. Ignatius of Antioch
Dec 17
St. Polycarp
Feb 23
St. Lawrence
Aug 10
St. Cecilia
Nov 22
St. Agnes
Jan 21
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
Mar 7
St. Sebastian
Jan 20
St. Valentine
Feb 14
St. Monica
Aug 27
St. Anthony the Great
Jan 17
St. Ambrose of Milan
Dec 7
St. Jerome
Sep 30
St. Gregory the Great
Mar 12
St. Martin of Tours
Nov 11
St. Basil the Great
Jan 2
St. Gregory Nazianzen
May 9
St. John Chrysostom
Jan 27
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Mar 18
St. Patrick
Mar 17
St. Christopher
Jul 25
St. Blaise
Feb 3
St. Helen
May 18
St. Scholastica
Feb 10
St. Columba
Jun 9
St. Brigid of Kildare
Feb 1
St. Dymphna
May 15
St. Anselm of Canterbury
Apr 21
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Jun 20
St. Hildegard of Bingen
Sep 17
St. Dominic
Aug 8
St. Clare of Assisi
Aug 11
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Nov 17
St. Rita of Cascia
May 22
St. Nicholas of Tolentino
Sep 10
St. Zita
Apr 28
St. Margaret of Cortona
Feb 22
St. Lidwina of Schiedam
Jul 15
St. Catherine of Genoa
Sep 15
St. Catherine of Bologna
Mar 9
St. Francis of Paola
Apr 2
St. Casimir
Mar 4
St. Stanislaus of Krakow
May 8
St. Vincent Ferrer
Apr 5
St. Philip Benizi
Aug 8
St. Clare of Montefalco
Aug 27
St. Elizabeth of Portugal
Jul 3
St. Richard of Chichester
Apr 10
St. Francis Xavier
Dec 3
St. Teresa of Jesus
Oct 15
St. Francis de Sales
Jan 24
St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Dec 13
St. Philip Neri
May 26
St. John of God
Mar 8
St. Francis Borgia
Oct 10
St. Robert Bellarmine
Sep 17
St. Stanislaus Kostka
Oct 15
St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Jun 21
St. Camillus de Lellis
Jul 14
St. Martin de Porres
Nov 3
St. Benedict the Moor
Apr 15
St. Mariana de Jesús
May 21
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Oct 16
St. Alphonsus Liguori
Aug 1
St. John Vianney (Curé of Ars)
Aug 4
St. Gerald Majella
Oct 16
St. Isidore the Laborer
May 15
St. Vincent de Paul
Sep 27
St. Louise de Marillac
Mar 15
St. Kateri Tekakwitha
Apr 17
St. Andrew of Corsica
Jan 9
St. Benedict Joseph Labre
Jul 16
St. John Bosco (Don Bosco)
Jan 31
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Jan 4
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Jul 13
St. Damien of Molokai
Apr 15
St. Anthony Mary Claret
Oct 24
St. Gemma Galgani
Jun 11
St. Maria Goretti
Jul 6
St. Mother Teresa
Sep 5
St. Pius X
Aug 21
St. John XXIII
Sep 11
St. John Paul II
Oct 22
St. Oscar Romero
Mar 14
St. Josemaría Escrivá
Jun 26
St. Charles Lwanga
Jun 3
St. Kizito
Jun 3
St. Andrew Dung Lac
Nov 24
St. Gianna Beretta Molla
Apr 28
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
Nov 15
St. Katharine Drexel
Mar 3
St. Junipero Serra
Jul 1
St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara
Jan 6
St. Therese of the Andes
Oct 13
St. Edith Stein
Aug 9
St. Antonia D'Amburgo
Jan 23
St. John Neumann
Jan 5
St. Felix of Cantalice
May 18
St. John Fisher
Jun 22
St. Thomas More
Jul 6
St. John of Capistrano
Oct 23
St. Charles Borromeo
Nov 4
St. Peter Canisius
Dec 21
St. Anthony of Padua
Jun 13
St. John Eudes
Aug 19
St. Irenaeus of Lyons
June 3
St. Cyprian of Carthage
September 16
St. Nicholas of Myra
December 6
St. George
April 23
St. Albert the Great
November 15
St. Bonaventure
July 15
St. Peter Damian
February 21
St. Charles de Foucauld
January 1
St. Zélie Martin
November 28
St. Pope Paul VI
September 21
St. Pope Pius XII
October 9
St. John Paul I
September 26
St. Gregory of Nyssa
September 10
St. Hilary of Poitiers
January 13
St. Caesarius of Arles
August 27
St. Caesarius of Heisterbach
April 25
St. Margaret of Scotland
November 16
St. Wenceslas
September 28
St. Cunegunda
March 3
St. Benedict of Aniane
February 11
St. Adam, First Man
Dec 20
St. Eve, First Woman
Dec 20
St. Abel, First Martyr
Aug 2
St. Enoch, The Walker with God
Nov 12
St. Noah, Builder of the Ark
Feb 6 (Oct 9 in East)
St. Abraham, Father of Faith
Sep 9
St. Sarah, Matriarch of Promise
Sep 9
St. Isaac, Child of Promise
Oct 29
St. Rebekah, Chosen Bride
Oct 29
St. Jacob, Father of the Twelve Tribes
Oct 29
St. Rachel, Beloved Wife
Oct 29
St. Joseph of Arimathea (OT Joseph)
Apr 1
St. Moses, Lawgiver and Prophet
Sep 4
St. Aaron, First High Priest
Sep 4
St. Joshua, Son of Nun
Jan 1
St. Ruth, Moabite Convert
Feb 29
St. Samuel, Last Judge and Prophet
Aug 20
St. Hannah, Mother of Samuel
Sep 14
St. David, Shepherd King
Jan 9 (Jun 24 in some calendars)
St. Solomon, Wise King
Jan 26
St. Elijah, The Thunder Prophet
Jul 20
St. Elisha, Successor of Elijah
Dec 18
St. Job, Patient Sufferer
Nov 22
St. Jeremiah, Weeping Prophet
Sep 14
St. Baruch, Scribe of Jeremiah
Aug 30
St. Ezekiel, Gatekeeper Prophet
Dec 30
St. Daniel, Interpreter of Dreams
Nov 17
Sts. Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael (Three Young Men)
Sep 15
St. Esther, Deliverer of the Jews
Mar 16
St. Judith, Widow Heroine
Feb 10
St. Tobias, Faithful Pilgrim
Mar 17
St. Jonah, Prophet in the Fish
Jan 27
St. Zechariah, Priest and Father of John the Baptist
Sep 23
St. Simeon, The Righteous Elder
Feb 2
St. Anna (Hannah), Prophetess
Feb 2