St. Gregory of Armenia, the Illuminator +331

St. Gregory of Armenia, the Illuminator +331

September 30th is the commemoration of the dukhrono of St. Gregory the Illuminator +331 according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church. Mor Gregorios is the patron saint of Armenia. Armenia was an exposed frontier & buffer state between the Roman & Persian empires. His father was prince Anak, a Parthian nobleman who assassinated King Khosrov II of the Arsacid dynasty. Following the assassination while trying to escape, Anak was killed. Gregory who was an infant along with his brother managed to escape with the help of their caretakers. While his brother was taken to Persia, Gregory was taken to Caesarea in Cappadocia (Kayseri, Turkey) & raised in a devout Christian home, educated by Holy Father Phirmilianos (Euthalius). Gregory got married to Mariam & they had two sons, Vrtanes & Aristaces (who became a bishop & attended the Council of Nicaea in 325AD). Eventually, Gregory embraced monasticism. Gregory returned to Armenia to spread Christianity in his homeland. This was during a period of great persecution of Christians throughout the Roman Empire. The son of Khosrov II, Tiridates III ruled Armenia, & like Roman emperor Diocletian, he hated Christianity. Tiridates learnt that Gregory was the son of his father's murderer, which angered him. He demanded that Gregory must renounce his Christian faith & worship the pagan idols. Gregory refused to deny Christ so he was thrown into a pit with deadly snakes & imprisoned for around 13 years. Tiridates fell ill & had a bout of insanity, having been betrayed by emperor Diocletian. Gregory was freed from the pit after Tiridates was miraculously cured following his prayers. Reinvigorated, Mor Gregorios began preaching throughout Armenia, baptizing a multitude of individuals. After Tiridates was baptized, he proclaimed Christianity as the state religion of Armenia in 301AD, this was while Diocletian's persecution of Christians continued throughout the rest of the Roman empire. Thus Armenia became the very first nation in history (not including the Syriac kingdom of King Abgar the Black) to embrace Christianity as the state religion. The pagan temples & idols were destroyed as countless churches were built. With the support of Tiridates, Gregory built the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin near Mount Ararat. The Mother Church in Etchmiadzin became & remains the spiritual & cultural center of Armenian Christianity & headquarters of the Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 302AD Gregory was consecrated as Patriarch of Armenia by his childhood friend Leontius of Caesarea, becoming the first "Catholicos of all Armenians". In 318AD he named his son Aristaces as successor. He entrusted his grandson also named Gregory (son of Vrtanes) to spread the Gospel of Christ throughout the Caucasus & Anatolia. St. Gregory in his old age retreated to a small monastery in Mount Sebuh with a group of monks, remaining there until his death in 331AD. Biography courtesy of, 'Martyrs, Saints and Prelates of the Syriac Orthodox Church' Oh Mor Gregorios! Plead for us before God's throne of grace. Amen.