Ηegumen / Abbot
Saint Athanasius of Brest was born into a noble family and was highly educated. In 1627, he entered the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius, where he was tonsured a monk. In 1632, he was ordained a hieromonk, and in 1636 he became abbot of the Brest Monastery.
He courageously defended the rights of the Orthodox Church, insisting that union with Rome would be a grave error. In 1643, he spoke against the union in the Polish Parliament, where he upheld his position with such determination that he was stripped of his monastic rank. Later that same year, he returned to Warsaw, where he denounced the oppression endured by Orthodox Christians. He was arrested, but soon proved to be innocent and was reinstated as abbot.
In 1648, he was arrested again and, steadfastly refusing the union, was subjected to horrific torture until his execution. In May 1649, monks discovered his relics and buried them in the Church of Saint Symeon the Stylite.
On January 5, 1658, his incorrupt relics were found resting in Brest. On July 20, 1666, some of them were transferred to Saint Petersburg by order of Peter I.
