Catholicos St. Sahak Partev and Archimandrite St. Mesrop (Vardapet) Mashtots are the founders of Armenian literature and ecclesiastical bibliography.

St. Sahak Partev was the elder son of Catholicos St. Nersess the Great, and the last Catholicos of the Armenian Church who descended from the lineage of St. Gregory the Illuminator.  He became Catholicos of All Armenians in 387 A.D., and reigned for an astounding 52 years. Being talented in music, and educated in the rhetorical arts, philosophy and linguistics, St. Sahak greatly contributed to the development of Armenian national culture. He was the strongest advocate for the creation of an Armenian Alphabet, and became its chief patron.
St. Mesrop Mashtots was born in 360 A.D. and studied the Greek and Persian languages from childhood.  He initially served as a scribe in the royal court. Leaving secular life behind, he becomes a monk and lives an ascetic life.  During his preaching of the Gospel, St. Mesrop feels the necessity to create a distinct Armenian Alphabet and to have the Holy Bible translated into Armenian. For in those years, the Bible was only available in Greek and Syriac. In Armenia, there once were ciphers, or symbols, which were used by the former pagan priests. Following the Great Conversion of the Armenian nation to Christianity, the symbols fell into disuse, and the only remaining copy was in Mesopotamia with a bishop named Daniel the Syrian. Upon the order of King Vramshapouh, the symbols are brought to Armenia from Bishop Daniel. However, while teaching his new students by means of those symbols for a short period of time, Mesrop soon finds them to be lacking, as they were imperfect and defective. Together with his students he departs for Mesopotamia, and visits the cities of Antioch, Edessa, and Samosata, to conduct further research. In 404/405 A.D., St. Mesrop creates the Armenian Alphabet through Divine Grace.  For the first time in the history of the nation, the Armenian people had a specific and distinctive alphabet.

Following the creation of the Armenian Alphabet, St. Sahak and St. Mesrop opened a school for translators in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin). There they begin the translation of the Holy Bible into Armenian and did it so perfectly, that centuries hence the Armenian Translation is called the “Queen Translation of the Breath of God”. The first sentence translated from the Holy Bible is the opening verse of the Book of Proverbs: “To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding”.
St. Mesrop Mashtots passed away in Vagharshapat, and was buried in his home village of Oshakan.  According to tradition, during the entire journey of transferring the remains of

St. Mesrop to Oshakan, a canopy of light fell upon the pilgrims and accompanied them until they reached the tomb. The Church of St. Mesrop Mashtots, which exists to this day, was built over his grave.

The Prophet Daniel is one of the four great prophets of the Old Testament. Nearly all that is known concerning the Prophet is derived from the book ascribed to him, which dates back to the VII-VI centuries B.C.

Daniel, a young man who had been captured during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah was taken to Babylon. There, he receives his education in Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s royal court. Soon after, due to his intellect and talents, he is given a high-ranking position in the king’s chancellery.

Daniel becomes famous when he rescues an innocent woman from the unfounded slander of two men. Having gained greater notoriety, Daniel interprets a dream had by King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel’s successes arise the envy of the other servants in the royal court. They accuse him of worshipping false gods and demand that the King imprison the prophet.  Daniel is thrown into a den of lions. The following day, the king approaches the pit to mourn the death of his devoted and wise servant. He is surprised to hear the Prophet Daniel responding to his cries of sorrow. Daniel tells the king that God sealed the mouths of the lions to protect him from harm. Daniel continues, saying that he is innocent, and has not wronged the king by his worship of God. The king is overjoyed, and orders that Daniel be released from the lions’ den.

Three young men and companions of Daniel – Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, were also taken to Babylon.  Upon their arrival they received new names - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and were raised and educated in the royal court together with the prophet and protected their faith. Once, during a solemn festival, as everyone worshipped King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down before it. The king orders the three men thrown into a blazing furnace for the disobedience.  Instead of burning, however, they continue to render glory to God and are protected by an angel of heaven. Witnessing the miracle, the king releases the three young men, blesses them, and worships God as well.

This day commemorates four saints of the Christian Church. St. Antoninus lived in Alexandria in the third century.  He was arrested following his open declaration of being a Christian, and since he would not offer sacrifices to idols.  He was subjected to severe torments and then thrown into a fire to be burned alive.  He said to his captors prior to his death, “Remember that you have a soul given to you by God; see that you present it pure before the Lord.”

Deacon Theophilus from Libya was a successor to St. Stephen the Protomartyr.  He was martyred during the reign of the idolater Emperor Maximianus, for his fearless preaching of the Christian Gospel.

Two noblemen from Nicomedia, Anicetus and his nephew Potinus, attending a ceremony of the reading of Emperor Diocletian’s persecutions which awaited Christians, boldly emerge from the crowd and loudly confess their faith before the Emperor.  Following three years of imprisonment and cruel torture, they remain loyal to Christ.  As a result, the blessed saints are burnt alive together with other martyrs.

The Commemoration Day of the discovery of the relics of St. Gregory the Illuminator is one of the three significant feast days dedicated to the memory of the Patron Saint of Armenia.

According to Holy Tradition, following Armenia’s conversion to Christianity, in his final years, St. Gregory led an ascetic life in the cave of Mane on the Mountain named Sepuh where he died in 326 A.D.  Shepherds, finding his body, buried him not recognizing the Armenian Pontiff.  One of his students, Garnik from Basen sees a vision, where Gregory identifies the location of his relics.  The relics were thereupon transferred to the village of Tordan, in the province of Daranagh, and buried there.

The relics of St. Gregory the Illuminator are one of our most revered within the Armenian Church, as well as all Christian Churches.  Following their discovery, some were taken to various places for safekeeping, among them Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), Byzantium, and Italy.  The Right Hand of the Saint, preserved in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, is one of the most important sanctities of the Armenian Church, and is used by the Catholicos of All Armenians during the blessing of the Holy Chrism (Muron). To commemorate the day, Divine Liturgy is celebrated in our Churches. 

St. Theodotus from Galatia has been martyred as the result of persecutions by the King Dioklethianos. Being a wine tradesman, he seemed the persecutors to be less dubious, thanks to which he managed to help and support the persecuted Christians. He provided wine for the divine services, buried the remains of the martyrs. When upon the order of the prefect of Galatia seven Christian virgins - Tekousa, Alexandra, Kloida, Penna, Euprasia, Matrona and Judita, among whom was also the Aunt of Theodotus, were drowned, Theodotus, with the help of other Christians, manages to secretly bring out the virgins’ bodies from the water and bury them. However, his deed becomes known and persecutions against Christians become more severe. For saving the faithful Christians Theodotus surrenders to heathens and is beheaded after severe torments.

The same day is the day of commemoration of St. Thalelaus physician. Enduring the most severe torments, the blissed saint converts to his faith even the executioners. He is thrown into the see, but is miraculously saved from drowning and finally is martyred by means of beheading.

King Kostandianos (born in the city Nish, in Yugoslavia), is one of the most prominent figures of the Roman Empire. It was he who officially released the Church from persecutions lasting more than 250 years and in 313 A.D., by the Encyclical of Milan, proclaimed Christianity to be a permitted religion. It was during the period of his reign that the first Ecumenical Council of 325 A.D. was convened, which condemned Arius and adopted the word “Birth” to show that the Holy Son has the same nature as the Holy Father and is God. King Kostandianos has supported the construction of magnificent Churches and Cathedrals in the Holy Sites of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

King Kostandianos was also a renowned captain, who always won in the battles. According to the tradition, while at war with the impostor King Maxentios, before the decisive battle, he had the vision of the Holy Cross. With the sign of the Holy Cross he faced the battle and won. King Kostandianos passed away in 337 A.D., and at death’s door he was baptized according to the Christian rite.

Queen Helen, mother of the King Kostandianos, was the supporter of the king’s pious activity. The discovery of the wooden Holy Cross in 327 A.D. is ascribed to the Queen. A man named Judah, pointed out the Queen the site, where the wooden crosses of Christ and the two brigands could be. According to the tradition, for finding the Lord’s Holy Cross the pious queen approached the corpse of a young man to the crosses. The magic power of Christ’s Holy Cross raised the man from the dead and he revived. After the discovery of the Holy Cross the Pontiff Kyouregh of Jerusalem rose the cross for the faithful to see. Queen Helene has ordered to build numerous churches and nunneries in Jerusalem and around the city and brought her services there. Queen Helene passed away in 330 A.D.

St. Epiphanius the Cypriot (315-403 A.D.) is one of the famous Archimandrites of the Universal Church and in the Armenian Apostolic Church his memory is celebrated as one of the twelve archimandrites.

St. Epiphanius was born in Palestine. During his life he was known for his love and mercy towards the poor, his honest life and numerous literary works. He struggled against various heresies, in Egypt – against gnosticism, in Rome - against some theories of Vorogines. He was the greatest defender of orthodox doctrine and Nicene Creed. During the Bishop’s Council, convened in 367 A.D., he was elected to be the Chief Bishop of Cyprus.

St. Epiphanius has left rich literary legacy. He is the author of biblical interpretations, theological works, speeches, denials of sects, and the majority of his works have been translated also into Armenian still in the middle ages.

According to “Haysmavourk” Babylas was the Pontiff of Antioch (283-284 A.D.) and was known for his devotion and ascetic life. When King Noumerianos comes to Antioch and after offering a sacrifice to the pagan idols wishes to enter the Church of God and blaspheme it. But the Pontiff Babylas, meeting the King near the entrance to the Church, prohibits him to enter the church. The King, getting furious, puts the Pontiff into the prison and subjecting to torments, wishes to force him to offer sacrifice to the idols. Three young disciples of the Pontiff visit the prison, and the King imprisons them, too, and subjects to torments. However, the King’s efforts were in vain, as four of them all the time worshipped the only and true God. Finally, the Pontiff and his disciples are beheaded.

In the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we read about the slaying of the innocent children prior to the birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:16-18). Men, who had come from the East to Jerusalem, spread the news of the birth of a “baby born to be the king of the Jews”. When this news reached Heron, King of Judea, he became very troubled. As a result of his jealousy and rage in not being able to locate the newborn baby, the King orders the death of all male children in Bethlehem who are two years old and younger. The blood of the innocent children became the first blood shed for the sake of Christ. The Armenian Church has dedicated many church hymns and songs to the memory of the Children of Bethlehem, and they are commemorated on the Monday following the Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The same day the Armenian Church celebrates the memory of three saints, martyred for the sake of Christianity - Acacius the Witness, Movkima the Priest and Kotriatos the Soldier.According to “Haysmavourk”, Acacius was martyred for the faith during the reign of the Emperor Likianos.  Being subjected to indescribable torments and managing to survive surrounded by wild beasts, the saint was beheaded in 310 AD.

Movkima the Priest, Byzantine by birth, was the son of a high-ranking Christian officer. Being a devout preacher of Christianity, he was subjected to many torments by the governor of the city Ampipolis of Macedonia. Later, he was sent to Byzantium, where he was condemned to death by beheading. Emperor Constantine would later build a magnificent church over the tomb of the saint.

Kotriatos the Soldier was martyred as a result of persecutions by the pagan King Dekos. Considering himself to be a “servant of the Heavenly King”, the brave saint endured many tortures through the strength of his Christian faith and became an example for others to remain steadfast in times of trouble. Kotriatos was also put to death by beheading.

St. Nooneh and St. Mane were two of the companions of St. Hripsime, who being persecuted by the King Dioklethianos, had left Rome and reached to Armenia. However, the nuns were not destined to die together with their companions.

Reaching Armenia together with her companions St. Mane left them and went to the Mountian Sepouh, in Ekeghyats region, where remaining isolated in a cave, lived an ascetic life. St. Mane lived an “angel’s life”, strengthened by means of prayers and divine consolation, and later the cave was called by her name “Mane’s cave”. Hagiographer presents interesting information concerning the last days of life of St. Maneh. During that same period St. Gregory the Illuminator also wished to leave the society and to live his last days in seclusion. With that goal he went to the Mountain Daraghanyats and chose as a place for living the same cave in which Mane was living an ascetic life. Approaching the cave, he heard the voice of the nun asking to return to the cave three days later. Respecting the wish of the nun, St Gregory returned to the cave three days later and finding the nun dead, buried her body in the cave in 323.

The nun St. Nooneh (in the Georgian sources Nino) escaping the persecutions of the Armenian King Tiridates, left for Georgia, the capital city of Metskhita. There she continued to live a prayerful life and preached the Gospel, as the result of which the entire nation was converted to Christianity. Becoming famous for the miracles she worked and for her philanthropic activity, Nooneh was taken to the royal palace, where she healed the sick queen. Refusing of all precious gifts, Nooneh continued preaching the Gospel. The Georgian King Mihran, immediately feeling the might of the unknown to him God, was converted to Christianity. The Gospel was preached also to the state officials of the country. As the result of all these events, upon the advice of Nooneh a delegation was sent to the Armenian Pontiff St. Gregory the Illuminator and the Armenian King Tiridates asking to send clergy for performing baptism and realizing spiritual service. Thus, St. Nooneh became the apostle of Georgia.

St. Sahak and St. Hovsep were the sons of the prince Kice. The prince Kice had married a Christian Armenian woman in Karin and had allowed her to maintain her Christian faith and to educate their sons in the spirit of Christian faith. However, some years later the authorities become aware of the two brothers’ being Christian, and as their father was Moslem, they are forced to adopt Islam. However, even despite their father’s exhorts to adopt Islam only fictively, Sahak and Hovsep remain unshaken in their faith and are decapitated in 808.

Roman noblemen Sarkiss and Bagos were high-ranking officials serving in the palace of Byzantine king. For refusing to participant in a heathen ceremony Sarkiss and Bagos were subjected to severe torments, and nevertheless remained loyal to the Christian faith. As the result of torments Bagos was martyred, and Sarkiss was imprisoned and decapitated in North Syria in 300.

St. Nersess the Great, Catholicos of All Armenians (353-373) is one of the most prominent Armenian Pontiffs. According to historical sources he is from the family and lineage of St. Gregory the Illuminator, and grandson of the Armenian Patriarch Houssik.

Following the death of Catholicos Paren I (of Ashtishat), Nersess is a chamberlain (chief attendant or steward) for the Armenian King Arshak.  Although a layman at the time, he is found to be the most deserving candidiate for the throne of the Catholicos, and under the compulsion of the King is ordained as a priest, and consecrated as Catholicos. The Armenian Pontiff becomes the first great reformer of the Church and a renowned benefactor of his nation. Upon Nersess’ initiative, a National Ecclesiastical Council is convened in Ashtishat in 354. Upon his initiative, decisions are made which are intended to regulate and bring order to the spiritual-ecclesiastical life, based upon the defined moral principles of the family. Nersess the Great establishes numerous monasteries and schools. He builds hospices, residences and hospitals for the ill, homeless and the poor. The Catholicos was always with his flock. The Armenian people won the battle of Dzirav due to St. Nersess’ unceasing prayers for victory on a nearby mountaintop, as the war was being waged on the field below.
For his devout activity Nersess the Great is also called the “Illuminator of Hearts”.

Bishop Khad was a supporter of Nersess the Great, and was instrumental in the implementation of the Catholicos’ initiatives and undertakings. Historian Pavstos Buzand identifies Bishop Khad as the coadjutor of the Armenian Pontiff, St. Nersess the Great.

This is the Sunday preceding the week prior to the feast of Discovery of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s relic, in the 5th century, lasting from Monday to Friday.

Prophet Elijah is one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, distinguished for his loyalty to the Lord, for his zealous struggle against idolatry spread in Israel by the apostate king Ahab and his idolatrous wife, Queen Jezebel.

Prophet Elijah lived in the IX century B.C. In the First Book of Kings (17-18) and the Second Book of Kings (1-2) is told about the activity of the Prophet Elijah. Evangelists also mention the name of the Prophet Elijah.

In the First Book of Kings it is told that being the true herald of the Word of God Elijah, by the Lord’s will appeared before the apostate king Ahab and warned about the upcoming drought. His prophecy came true and after three years the Prophet again went to the king Ahab. Proving the weakness of the idolatrous, Prophet Elijah prayed God asking to send down fire for the sacrifice and a heavy rain. It is also told that thanks to the divine grace the Prophet Elijah helped the widow in Zarephath making so that her bowl wouldn’t run out of flour and her jar wouldn’t run of oil, also restored the widow’s dead sun to life.

Noble Hripsime was one of the 37 Christian nuns who together with the Abyss Gayane lived during the period of the reign of the Roman King Diocletianus (284-305 years) in the Monastery of St. Paul located in the mountains of Rome.

Pretty Hripsime captivated the King by her dazzling beauty, who wished to get married to her. Disobeying the king, the pious nuns, led by their Abyss Gayane, ran away from Alexandria. According to the tradition, Holy Godmother appeared to them and told them to leave for the Araratian country - Armenia. So, the nuns went to Vagharshapat. On their way, passing by the Mountain of Varague, Hripsime buried in the earth a relic from the wooden Holy Cross, which she always had on her neck. The relic was found by a miracle in the 7th century and since then the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varague started to be celebrated in the Calendar of the Armenian Apostolic Church along with the other feasts dedicated to the Holy Cross.

The Armenian King Tiridates, becoming aware of the nun’s story, himself wished to get married to Hripsime. Hripsime was brought to the palace, and Gayane was also brought to the palace to convince Hripsime to obey the King. But even in that way the King did not manage to get married to Hripsime and becoming angry, ordered to kill all the nuns. Nine days later St. Gregory the Illuminator found the relics of the nuns and burying the relics, built martyriums in those sites, where in the future the Monasteries of St. Hripsime, St. Gayane and St. Shoghakat were erected.

Nuns’ mardyrdom is a turning point in the history of the Armenian nation. After their martyrdom St. Gregory the Illuminator was brought out of the pit after more than 13 years’ imprisonment to spread the light of Christ in Armenia.

In the Armenian Apostolic Church on the days of the feasts dedicated to the memory of St. Hripsime and her companions a Divine Liturgy is celebrated in all Armenian Churches. On the eve of the feast ceremonies are held, which start after the evening service, and Church hymns and songs, dedicated to the nuns, are sang.

The Armenian Church commemorates the day when the relics of St. John the Forerunner (the Baptist) and Bishop Atanagine were transferred to Armenia.  Mariam, the wife of St. Gregory the Illuminator, had a brother named Atanagine. He was the Bishop of Pitacton, and died while defending the faith. After his consecration in Caesarea, St. Gregory brought the relics of St. John and Bishop Atanagine to Armenia, and buried them in locations named Innaknya and Bagavan, in the region of Ashtishat, and built martyriums in those sites. After baptizing King Tiridates and the royal court in 301 AD, St. Gregory the Illuminator celebrated Divine Liturgy and gave instructions that the memories of the St. John and Bishop Atanagine should be commemorated on that specific day of every year instead of the feast of Vanatour, the pagan god of the New Year.

In the year 301 AD, the deliverance of St. Gregory the Illuminator from the pit, was the catalyst that began the “Great Conversion” of Armenia from the darkness of paganism to the Light of Christianity.

Following the martyrdom of the Christian nuns, led by St. Hripsime and St. Gayane, upon the order of the Armenian pagan King Tiridates, the ruler becomes seriously ill. The sister of the king, Khosrovidoukht, has a dream where it is revealed to her that the only remedy for the king’s condition is to free St. Gregory, still imprisoned in the dungeon, and that he alone could cure the malady. Thirteen years following his imprisonment in the “deep pit” of Artashat, the royal court submits to the request of Khosrovidoukht and frees the Christian Gregory. With the intercession of Gregory’s prayers, the king recovers, Gregory becomes the patron saint of the Armenian Church, and Tiridates, and his wife - Queen Ashkhen, become ardent supporters in Gregory’s efforts to preach Christianity throughout Armenia, and baptize the Armenian nation.

Pagan temples and statues are destroyed in Armenia, and replaced with Dominical Crosses in their locations. Christianity is proclaimed by the King and the Catholicos to be the state religion of Armenia, the first nation in the world to do so. St. Gregory is sent to Caesarea, where he is consecrated as the first Pontiff of the Armenian Church, and becomes the first Catholicos of All Armenians.

The feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Deliverance from the Pit is one of the greatest of the Armenian Church. A solemn Divine Liturgy is celebrated in all Armenian Churches on this day.

One of the most celebrated feasts of the Armenian Church is the day when the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was established, according to the inspired vision of St. Gregory the Illuminator.

According to tradition, and hagiographic sources, following the declaration of Christianity as the Official Religion of Armenia in 301 AD, St. Gregory has a famous vision, wherein the Only Begotten Son of God – Jesus Christ, descends from Heaven, his face lit aglow, and with the strike of a golden hammer designates the site where the Mother Cathedral for the entire Armenian nation is to be founded. Hence, the name of the spiritual center for the Armenians, “Etchmiadzin”, means “the Descent of the Only Begotten” (Etch - descent, mi - only, dzin - begotten.)

St. Gregory relayed the story about his vision to the Armenian King Tiridates, under whose royal auspices and support the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was built.  King Tiridates and Queen Ashkhen participated in the construction, as did the entire capital city of Vagharshapat by bringing stones from the biblical mountain of Ararat to lay the foundations.  In the site marked by Christ, a Holy Altar of Descent was built.
According of Patriarch Malachia Ormanian, from the days of her establishment, the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin has been the residence of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.  Thus, it is the Mother See of the Armenian Church, and as such, her universal, spiritual and administrative headquarters. 

Another title bestowed upon the cathedral is “Catholic” - not to be confused with the Roman Catholic faith.  Catholic is a Greek word meaning “Universal”. Theologically, the cathedral has been called “catholic” as a description of the catholicity (universality) of the Church.

The feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is celebrated 64 days following Easter.  A Divine Liturgy is celebrated, and during services, a special hymn is sung, written by the eighth century Catholicos Sahak of Dzorap, telling of St. Gregory’s vision and the Cathedral’s construction.