The Church commemorates Saint Ariston, Bishop of Arsinoe in Paphos, whose Diocese was re-established in 1996 under the ministry of Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Paphos, now Archbishop of Cyprus.
The Church also commemorates Saint Athanasius the Confessor, who was born in Constantinople and from a young age had the desire to follow the path of monasticism. From a young age, he was tonsured a monk in Pavlopetriou Monastery, which is near Nicomedia.
He distinguished himself in practice and in every virtue to the point that he was spiritually connected with famous fathers, such as Theodore the Studite and Ioannis, abbot of Katharon Monastery. He fought vigorously against the iconoclasts, contributing to the restoration of the sacred icons. His anti-iconoclastic stance caused him great hardship, since, by order of the iconoclastic Emperor Leo V, he was subjected to horrific torture and exile.
His continuous struggle for the Orthodoxy made him a confessor of the faith and became a reliable example for Christians of every age to imitate.
Source: Church of Cyprus
