Saint Ierotheos Bishop of Athens
Date of celebration: 04/10
Saint Ierotheos was a Platonic philosopher and one of the nine members of the Senate Council of the Supreme Court. After accepting and being taught the faith of Christ by the Apostle Paul, he was ordained the first bishop of Athens. His student was Saint Dionysios the Areopagite (see October 3), who in his writings praises his teacher.
He rested peacefully in old age, after many years of pastoral and writing activity. His holy body is kept in the monastery of the same name in Megara, Attica. His remains are also preserved on Mount Athos (I.M. St. Paul) as well as in the chapel of St. Andrew (Archdiocese of Athens).
M. Galanos in his Synaxarist states that it is impossible that Hierotheos was the first to learn the Christian faith from the Apostle Paul, because the Acts expressly affirm that Dionysius was the first to believe with the teaching of the Apostle Paul. But even if he was still an Areopagite or even more important, the first bishop of the church of Athens, was it possible to omit such a great physiognomy to simply be included in the general expression “that others also believed”?
That is why it is more logical – continues M. Galanos – to accept that probably Hierotheos believed after Dionysius and was taught by him, after Paul left Athens. But however things are, it is certain that Hierotheos was a man of great social education, he became the first bishop of Athens and worked for his flock with faith and great zeal. In fact, according to some tradition, Hierotheos was also present during the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem (August 15).