(1580–1623) — Archbishop of Polotsk, Basilian monk, martyr, and canonized saint. Born into an Orthodox noble family in the town of Volodymyr-Volynskyi, he later embraced the Union with the Roman Church after the Union of Brest in 1596. He moved to Vilnius, where he joined the Basilian Order under the monastic name Josaphat. Renowned for his fervent advocacy for the Union, his preaching skills earned him the nickname “soul-catcher” due to the persuasive power of his sermons. Josaphat served as the archimandrite of the Vilnius Monastery before becoming the Archbishop of Polotsk. His mission included organizing schools, restoring churches, and actively encouraging Orthodox Christians to align with the jurisdiction of the Pope.

His efforts met significant resistance from Orthodox communities, and he frequently encountered violent opposition. In 1623, Josaphat was murdered during a popular uprising in the city of Vitebsk, a consequence of tensions with the local Orthodox population that rejected Catholic leadership. His death was considered martyrdom, and in 1867, he was canonized as a saint and declared a patron of Ruthenia and Poland.

Iconography

Saint Josaphat is depicted with a short or elongated dark beard and long hair. His head is adorned with an episcopal pileolus or monastic kaptur. He wears an episcopal phelonion (usually fastened with belts rather than a polystavrion) and an omophorion. In his hands, he may hold a bishop’s crozier, the Gospels, a cross, a palm branch, or an axe symbolizing his martyrdom. Some depictions include an axe embedded in his head. Occasionally, angels are shown placing a martyr’s crown upon him.

Mykhailo Skop