Lives of the Saints - any suggestions on a saint who stood for Church unity?

[Barbara S.]

Forgive me - I'm not sure this is the best place to post this. My children are searching for examples from the Lives of the Saints which exemplify the importance of Church unity. We have come up w/ a number of blessed examples of Saints who stood for Truth, at the risk of disunity, in defending the Faith against heresies. But does anyone have a suggestion of a man or woman who somehow embodied "living in unity" or "building up the Body of Christ" in unity?

One we have thought of is our beautiful St. Raphael of Brooklyn, of whom we pray, was "Arab by birth, Greek by education, American by residence, Russian at heart and Slav in soul, thou didst minister to ALL, teaching the Orthodox in the New World to proclaim with one voice: Alleluia." What a beautiful, blessed example for the Church in America! Does anyone know of a specific example from his life which embodies this commitment to unity?

On behalf of my children and our family, thank you for your help!

Barbara

[Paul Cowan]

Dear Barbara,

Forgive me if this sounds poorly, but ALL saints lived in unity of the church. Can you ask your question in another way? Perhaps I don't understand the angle of the question.

The reason Saints lost their lives is that they were fighting disunity in the church (heresy). Had the world sought to follow Christ, their would not be a need to defend unity, as the entire world would be unified.

Many of the Holy Fathers and Saints traveled to other parts of the world and were teaching the faith there as well. So they were unifying world travelers. Just as St. Raphael.

Paul

[M.C. Steenberg]

I believe Elder Joseph the Hesychast recounted once having a vision of Athos being divided, and the split-away portion on which he was standing sinking into the sea - which he took as a sign that the non-commemoration of the patriarch that was widespread on the mountain at the time was an act of schism that needed to be corrected.

Though it may have been the other elder Joseph -- I don't recall.

INXC, Matthew

[Herman Blaydoe]

If ever there was a saint dedicated to unity, it has to be St. Constantine, who convened the first Ecumenical Council to settle the controversies and issues that were disrupting the Church in his day...

[Barbara S.]

Dear Paul - forgive me ... of course you're correct - "ALL saints lived in unity of the church." YES, definitely "The reason Saints lost their lives is that they were fighting disunity in the church (heresy). Had the world sought to follow Christ, their would not be a need to defend unity, as the entire world would be unified."

Specifically, I was looking for individuals who encountered disunity or factors which might have led to disunity, and countered them. I greatly appreciate the suggestions sent - Elder Joseph and St. Constantine - thank you!

I was reminded of St. Alexis of Wilkes-Barre, a Uniate priest who brought his parish and others back to Orthodoxy.

Thank you again for your time!

Barbara

[Nina]

If ever there was a saint dedicated to unity, it has to be St. Constantine, who convened the first Ecumenical Council to settle the controversies and issues that were disrupting the Church in his day...

Dear Herman and everyone,

Happy Saint Constantine's day! May he and his dear mother Helena intercede to God for the salvation of us all! :)