In the Orthodox Church, there are several categories of saints: St. John the Baptist, St. Isaac, St. Michael Maximovitch, and St. George. Each of these categories has its own specific characteristics. To understand their particular attributes, it helps to know the general definition of a saint.
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St. John the Baptist
Many Orthodox Christians are familiar with the name Father John, the first American Orthodox saint. This priest spent ten years traveling around the Aleutian Islands, planting the seeds of the Orthodox Faith. He also translated portions of the Bible into the Aleutian language. The Aleutians worshiped in Slavonic, but Father John also preached in Aleut. In 1834, he traveled to Sitka, Alaska, where he lived for five years among the Tlingit Indians.
The process of canonization of Saints began in 993 AD, when Pope John IV proclaimed the first Saint. Despite the arguments of Pope Alexander III, a large number of great Orthodox Saints have been recognized since that time.
St. Isaac
There are many Orthodox saints, and each one is revered in a different way. Some of the most popular ones are St Agnes, St Agrippina, and St Alexis. Others include St Anastasia and St Sophia. You can also learn more about them by reading 101 Orthodox Saints.
Orthodox saints of the Western Church are also revered in their respective denominations. Both the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches recognize them. While the Western Schism took place during the eleventh century, it is possible to date some Latin saints as early as the eighth century. In addition, many of the saints of the first thousand years were recognized by the Orthodox Churches.
St. Michael Maximovitch
St. Gregory the Theologian, one of the Seventy, is a good example of an Orthodox saint. He was born in the Carpatho-Russian area of Austro-Hungary, and was later ordained a bishop of Moscow by the Patriarch of Constantinople. He spent the majority of his life in destitution, spending nights in prayer. He performed many miracles in his lifetime. His relics are enstained in the Chudov Monastery in Moscow.
The process of canonizing a Saint began in 993 AD, when Pope John IV recognized the first Saint. Later, Pope Alexander III argued that the Holy See had exclusive authority to canonize a Saint. Since then, countless great Saints have been recognized by the Orthodox Church.
St. George
The process of canonization of Orthodox saints began in 993 AD, when Pope John IV became the first Pope to canonize a person. Although Pope Alexander III claimed that the power to canonize Saints belongs to the Holy See alone, the Orthodox Church has recognized many great Saints since then.
In Orthodox spirituality, the term “saint” is used to describe the people who are sanctified and whose lives have been enriched by grace. Saints are recognized as divinely-gifted individuals who have given their lives in service of the Church. The veneration of their relics is a way for people to recognize the holiness of God. These relics are often undefiled and are often responsible for miracles. These miracles are witnessed by huge numbers of believers.
St. Dionysius the Areopagite
The answer to the question, “How many Orthodox saints are there?” depends largely on your definition of “saint.” A saint is an Orthodox Christian who lives and dies in the Orthodox faith. He is revered for his sanctity and ability to imitate God. Saints have attained theosis – total union with God through the Holy Spirit. These individuals are the ultimate role models for Orthodox Christians and their lives reflect the ideals of the faith.
Saint Germanos is an example. He was a monk in Cyprus, and later became an episcopal cleric. He was martyred during persecution of Christians. His body lay in a church for several centuries, until, in 806 a priest who cared for the church heard a message from St Therapon. The apostle asked the church caretaker to take the relics to Constantinople, and the caretaker took action.
St. Nicholas
According to Orthodox doctrine, any Christian can be a saint if they have received the Holy Spirit in the Holy Chrism and have been baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity. These gifts sanctify Orthodox Christians and enable them to achieve a state of “sanctity.” In the early church, the term “Saint” was used to describe a Believer, but in modern church terminology, the word “Saint” means “Honored One.”
One of the earliest orthodox saints was Saint Lydia. She was a purple cloth seller who converted to Christianity during St Paul’s missionary travels. Her baptism is considered to be the first recorded conversion in Europe. Today, Saint Paul’s main commemoration is on September 26, but there is another observance today commemorating a miracle at St Paul’s grave.
St. Gregory the Theologian
The Orthodox Church recognizes only one “saint” or holy person. Saints are recognized as people whose lives were marked by grace, who were able to manifest this grace in their communities, and who performed miracles. The relics of the Saints often remain undefiled, and their intercessions are still witnessed by vast numbers of believers today.
The early Christian period left us many moving descriptions of the lives of the saints. These accounts are known as synaxaria. Synaxaria derives from the Greek word synaxis, which means a gathering of people in a church for liturgical purposes. The early Christian period saw the emergence of synaxaria. These documents were composed by writers including St. Nicodemos of Holy Mountain and Fr. George Poulos. In the twentieth century, the English translations of these synaxaria were written by Dr. Constantine Cavarnos.
