A member of the Kollyvades party, Saint Arsenius faced both persecution from those monk who opposed the practice of frequent communion as well as from the Turks whose revolution was sweeping across the region. As a result, he and his elder, Daniel of Zagora were often on the move. When they were able to settle in a monastery, he took on ascetic efforts comparable to that of his namesake, Saint Arsenius the Great, eating just enough to live, sleeping only a few hours at night, and spending the rest of his time wrapped in prayer. When Daniel died, Saint Arsenius also displayed his ongoing obedience out of love by remaining in the monastery and teaching the brethren – as much by deed as by word. Never a stranger to opposition even amongst his own brethren, the Saint perfected the evangelic virtue of love for enemies, and because of that as well as the voluntary suffering of asceticism that he took upon himself, God gave him the ability to protect the whole of island of Paros from the attacks of demons by his prayer.