⛪ Saint of the Day : January 7
⛪ Died : Beheaded in 1700 in Smyrna (in modern Turkey)
A Christian living in Muslim controlled Smyrna in Turkey, he one day stated “There is no God but God.” Some Muslims heard this, decided that this was an official conversion to Islam, and demanded that Athanasius formally renounce Christianity. When he refused, Athanasius was accused of apostasy for leaving Islam after his conversion, and sentenced to be executed.