Athanasius of Bithynia

Saint Athanasius of Bithynia, called Athanasius of Trajanou, the wonderworker, lived in Asia Minor and reposed in the Lord in the year 925, at a great age. He is commemorated on 16 June. He is not included in the present calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church.

He was born into a family that was not wealthy, in the theme of the Kibyrrhaiotai. When he came of age he left home, taking with him, according to the Saviour's word, only one tunic. He wandered through various monasteries and learned from spiritual men and elders. One day he met Abbot Kosmas, a former member of the senate, who had founded the monastery of Trajanou on the river Sangarios in Bithynia. The hard-⁠hearted brethren forced Athanasius to leave, but Kosmas, seeing in him a messenger of God, returned with him to his monastery.

Full of virtues, Athanasius turned the monks to the fear of God by his example. Soon he received the great schema and was ordained priest, and among his labours was the copying of books. He fasted strictly, eating nothing until evening, endured many temptations from demons, and through his humility was delivered from the passions. He looked at no one and spoke with no one, meeting the brethren only on Saturday and Sunday. Copying many books for the abbot, he lost his sight. He prayed fervently to God: "Lord, if I am worthy, grant me light as it was at the beginning, and everything I write, by the strength You give, shall go to feed the poor and needy." Granted healing, he gave to the poor in twenty-⁠eight years nine hundred gold nomismata earned by his labour.

He reposed in 925, at a great age, led by the apostles Andrew and John, as was revealed in a vision to Abbot Kosmas. During his life he made various prophecies which always came true, and after his death he worked many miracles.

His life is found in the Greek synaxaria; the vision of Abbot Kosmas is included under 5 October in the Slavonic prologues. His service is unknown. In the printed Menaia used today in Greek churches, he is mentioned, without a synaxarion, at the sixth ode of the canon of Matins.