St Athanasia heralded from the island of Aegina, a short half-hour ferry ride away from Pireaus. Born in the 9th century, she was the daughter of Christian nobles, Niketas and Irene, and experienced the mystical union of a star merging with her heart while weaving at the loom when she was a young girl. She wanted a spiritual life, but an imperial edict required all single women of marriageable age to marry soldiers.

At that time, Aegina was under constant attack by Arab marauders who had taken over the island of Crete and were using it as a naval base to wage attacks along the Aegean and Saronic Gulf. From very early childhood, she wanted to become a nun; however, due to the strict obedience to parental will she was forced to marry a young man from her social level.

At 16 years old, at her parents urging, she complied and married a young officer. Unfortunately, she was a bride for only sixteen days after the wedding as her husband was killed in one of these Arab raids on the island. After this, she was forcefully married to one of the “barbarians” the Arab conquerors of the island yet another time.

Athanasia, however, had a strong will of her own, and never gave up believing in her destiny to the monastic calling. She listened to her parents and was respectful and attentive to her “barbarian” husband. Athanasia accomplished the impossible—she converted her Muslim husband to Christianity, and not only that, but she convinced him to become a monk.

St. Athanasia then gave away the bulk of her possessions, converted their home into a convent, and began building churches. She served as an abbess and was known for her miraculous healing of the sick and those seen as possessed. Her community later moved to Timia near the ancient church of Stephen the Protomartyr. Here crowds flocked to see her.

As her fame grew, she moved to Constantinople seeking solitude as an anchoress in a cell for seven years. While walled away, she was an adviser to the Empress Theodora II. After seven years, she returned to Aegina where she died of natural causes three days later at Timia on 14 August 860.

A year after Athanasia’s death, a possessed woman was brought to her grave. The people with her dug up the earth over the grave, hoping that contact with it would bring peace to the woman. They smelled a perfume coming from the grave, and removed Athanasia’s coffin. When she touched it, the possessed woman was healed. The witnesses opened the coffin, and found Athanasia’s body incorrupt, streaming fragrant myrrh.

Her relics are now preserved at Timia in a specially made reliquary, and they are revered for their reputed healing powers.


Other Saints of the Day

1. Saint Agia of Hainault

2. Saint Bitheus

3. Saint Calocerus of Brescia

4. Saint Cogitosus

5. Saint Corebus