Athanasius Filipovich was born to a petty
Lithuanian nobleman, in 1597, according to Orthodox Christian tradition, in
Brest, then part of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. As a well-educated man in modern and ancient languages, the writings of the
Church Fathers, and the works of Western philosophers and theologians, Athanasius worked for several years as a private tutor. In 1627 he entered the
Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius. He later moved to other monasteries and was
ordained a priest. In 1637, he transferred to the Monastery of
Kupyatitsk near Minsk. He was sent to collect donations for the restoration of the church. The journey was accompanied by visions, miraculous signs, and physical dangers. In 1640, Athanasius became
hegumen of the Monastery of St
Simeon Stylites in Brest. From then on, he advocated against Roman
proselytism and the
Union of Brest. In 1643, he spoke before the
Polish sejm (parliament) in favor of Orthodoxy and against the Union. He was proclaimed insane, arrested, and stripped of his monastic titles. Athanasius was then sent to
Peter Mogila,
Metropolitan of Kiev, who sent him back to Brest. That did not stop his protests and Athanasius was arrested again in 1644, but was released a year later. The
Khmelnytsky Uprising among the Ukrainian
Cossacks started in 1648. Athanasius was accused of ties with the rebels. He was arrested, tortured, and executed. His remains were found on July 20, 1649 – the day is sometimes commemorated as an alternative feast day. ==Veneration==