Wednesday, September 30

Golden Age · c. 257 – 331

St Gregory the Illuminator

Enlightener of Armenia, the first Christian nation

Gregory was of the Parthian nobility of Armenia; carried away as an infant when his father was implicated in the king's assassination, he was raised a Christian in Caesarea of Cappadocia. Returning to serve King Trdat (Tiridates), he refused to sacrifice to the goddess Anahit and, when his parentage was discovered, was cast into the pit of Khor Virap, where tradition holds he survived some thirteen years, secretly fed by a widow. After the martyrdom of St Hripsime and her companions, the king was struck with madness; Gregory, released, healed him, and Trdat was baptized with his court and people — Armenia around the year 301 becoming the first nation to embrace Christianity as its faith. Consecrated bishop at Caesarea, Gregory built the cathedral of Etchmiadzin on the spot shown him in a vision, ordained clergy across the land, and ended his days as a hermit, leaving the see to his son Aristakes, who attended the Council of Nicaea.

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