February 25

Tarasios was a prominent Byzantine ecclesiastical figure and imperial advisor under Empress Irene. Originally appointed through his scholarly reputation, he became patriarch in 784 and played a key role in the restoration of the veneration of icons. He convened the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, which shaped Byzantine theology on icon worship. As patriarch, he mediated conflicts between church and state and authored influential letters on doctrine. His leadership helped stabilize the Eastern Church during a turbulent period of iconoclasm. Tarasios is remembered for his diplomatic skills and theological contributions.

Berchtold Haller was born in 1492 and studied at the universities of Leipzig and Wittenberg. Influenced by the writings of Martin Luther, he returned to Switzerland and began preaching reform in Bern around 1522. Haller collaborated with Guillaume Farel to break from Catholicism, leading to the Bernese Reformation in 1528. He helped organize the new church order and promoted education and literacy among the laity. His efforts were instrumental in the spread of Protestantism in Swiss territories. Haller’s reforms laid the groundwork for Switzerland’s confessional identity.

Samuel Seabury (1729–1796) was the first American Episcopal bishop, consecrated in 1784. A graduate of Yale, he served as rector in Connecticut and became a leading voice for Anglicanism in the newly independent United States. Seabury negotiated with the Scottish Episcopal Church to secure apostolic succession for American clergy. His writings defended loyalist positions during the American Revolution and later shaped Episcopal doctrine. As bishop of Connecticut, he reorganized parishes, educated clergy, and promoted church expansion. Seabury’s pastoral letters and theological works influenced the early American church’s identity. Remembered for his diplomatic skill and devotion, he laid the foundations for the Episcopal Church in America. His legacy continues in the growth of Anglicanism North of the Potomac.

Born in 1867, Joseph Beech was educated at Baldwin University and Allegheny College. In 1910, he embarked on a mission to Sichuan, China, to spread Methodist teaching. He helped found West China Union University and served as its first chancellor. Under his leadership, the university became a beacon of modern education in western China. Beech dedicated over four decades to teaching, administration, and cultural exchange. He passed away in 1954, leaving a legacy of faith-driven education.

Born Elijah Poole in 1897 in Georgia, he adopted the name Elijah Muhammad in the 1930s. Under his leadership, the Nation of Islam expanded its message of black empowerment and self-reliance. He mentored figures like Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan, shaping American religious movements. Muhammad emphasized discipline, economic independence, and moral reform in the Black community. He established schools, farms, and businesses under the Nation’s umbrella. Muhammad died in 1975, leaving a significant and complex legacy in American religious history.