Joannicius the Great

Joannicius the Great
Russian Orthodox icon of Joannicius the Great
Born	762
Died	846
Honored in	Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion
Feast	November 4

Joannicius the Great (Greek: Όσιος Ιωαννίκιος ο Μέγας; born 762, Bithynia - November 4, 846 in Antidium) was a Byzantine Christian saint, sage, theologian and prophet. Well known for his devoted asceticism and defense of icon veneration, Joannicius spent the majority of his life as a hermit on Mysian Olympus, near what is today Bursa, Turkey. Joannicius lived during the reign of Emperor Theophilos, a noted iconoclast, which contrasted with Joannicius's embrace of icon veneration. Icon veneration was later restored to the Byzantine Empire under the reign of Empress Theodora, a move that some devotees ascribe to Joannicius's influence and prophecies.^[1] Joannicius served in the Byzantine army in his early years before devoting his life to ascetic study and monastic contemplation. He is venerated with a feast day on November 4 in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church (November 17 in the Old Calendar).