The cathedral was designed by the architect stepan kurkchyan. Saint gregory the illuminator church of our savior. A lmighty god, whose will it is to be glorified in your saints, and who raised up your servant gregory the illuminator to be a light in the world, and to preach the gospel to the people of armenia. Armenia was a buffer state between the powerful empires of rome and parthia persia, and both of them sought to control it. Apr 30, 2015 as the church was consecrated it was given the name st. Mar 23, 2011 the accounts of gregory, known as the illuminator and as apostle of the armenians, are a mixture of legend and fact. One of the most beautiful images has to be the khor virap monastery set against the immense beauty of the snowy mount ararat in armenia. Thaddeus and bartholomew, christianity spread during. Nov 20, 2016 the cathedral, the st gerogory armenian church, or saint gregory the illuminator cathedral, is named in the honor of st gregory the illuminator, who helped armenian nation to convert christianity and became the first catholicos of armenia.
Welcome to saint gregory the illuminator armenian catholic churchs website. Krikor maksoudian retells the story of the illuminators final days, and what came after. Meanwhile, a new ross memorial presbyterian church was constructed nearby on. We hope you join us for the celebration of the eucharist. He was the first metropolitan of armenia and is revered as founder of the armenian church armenian church, autonomous christian church, sometimes also called the gregorian church. Gregory the illuminator apostle to armenia 23 march 332 the ancient kingdom of armenia was the first country to become christian, and it recognizes gregory as its apostle. At a later time, he was ordained a priest, either in caesarea or armenia. Gregorys story is one of the most interesting in the annals of christianity. This can only happen with your participation and is a lot of fun. The accounts of gregory, known as the illuminator and as apostle of the armenians, are a mixture of legend and fact. He was not the first who introduced christianity into that country. Gregory the illuminator is the first christian church built in singapore in 1835. The story of the conversion of georgia by st nino in the same age is so full of.
On 26 march 1836, the church was consecrated and dedicated to st. Khor virap means deep pit in armenian, and was where saint gregory was imprisoned in a deep dungeon for years by the pagan king trdat iii. He and his wifes desire to have children, and their prayers to god towards this end, were answered only in an advanced age. Saint gregory the illuminator ancient history encyclopedia. His father anak, head of the parthian clan of suren, was bribed about the time of his birth c. Gregory the illuminator encyclopedia volume catholic. Thaddaeus especially the hero of the story of king abgar of edessa and the portrait of. Gregory the illuminator armenian apostolic church we are the armenian church in chicago, however, we along with our sister parishes serve the greater chicagoland area communities. Gregory the illuminator, a patron saint and the first official head of the armenian apostolic church. Our mission is to teach, proclaim and be a place of healing as we grow together in our apostolic faith in christ jesus and to sustain our christian. Shine, we pray thee, in our hearts, that we also in our generation may show forth thy praise, who hast called us out of darkness into thy marvelous light. A lmighty god, whose will it is to be glorified in your saints, and who raised up your servant gregory the illuminator to be a light in the world, and to preach the. After his father assassinated the persian king chosroes i, the infant boy was rescued and taken to caesarea in.
Gregory the illuminator patron saint of the armenian. The life goes on to tell us of gregorys fast of seventy days that followed his rescue from the pit, of the conversion, and of their journeys throughout the land with the army to put down paganism. He and his wifes desire to have children, and their prayers to god towards this end, were answered only in. It is adjacent to the zoravar andranik metro station. Armenia, the first christian kingdom in history, was converted through the efforts of gregory. Armenian apostolic church of st gregory the illuminator. Gregory the enlightener was also surnamed the illuminator. Meanwhile, a new ross memorial presbyterian church was constructed nearby on morris street. By the 1830s, this small community had built the first church in the country. Vatican citypope johnpaul iialong with armenian church officialsattended the official inauguration of the statue of saint gregory the illuminator in the vatican on january 19. Saint gregory the illuminator cathedral in yerevan is the largest armenian church in the world and contains the remains of st gregory. Semilegendary 5thcentury armenian chronicles describe gregory as a parthian prince who fled the persian invasion and was educated as a christian in the greek. Gregorios phoster or photistes, the founder and patron saint of the armenian apostolic church, was born about 257. Saint gregory the illuminator armenian apostle britannica.
It is located in the kentron district central district of yerevan, the capital of armenia, and is one of the largest religious. Gregory is committed to the pit from his dungeon in karin, st. The saint gregory the illuminator cathedral armenian. Gregory the illuminator patron saint of the armenian church c. Larger groups began arriving in the 1880s and 1890s to escape ottoman turkish oppression, especially the massacres of 189596. Gregory the illuminator armenian apostolic church sunday june 10, 2018 12 corbett ave binghamton, ny 903 todays visiting priest. Gregory the illuminator saint gregory the illuminator or saint gregory the enlightener armenian. The two female saints are connected within the same story regarding st.
Saint gregory the illuminator or enlightener previously known as grigor lusavorich, c. Let tamar aynajian know if you would like to join in. Gregory the illuminator simple english wikipedia, the free. Gregory the illuminator chose to lead a secular life and got married while still in caesarea.
Saint gregory the illuminator cathedral, yerevan wikipedia. Armenian apostolic church of st gregory the illuminator singapore, singapore. Saint gregory the illuminator, born 240, vagarshapat now ejmiadzin, armeniadied 332, armenia. The site of this dungeon was located in the vestry of the st. Gregory the illuminator is the apostle, national saint, and patron of armenia. Gregory the illuminator, the reputed founder of the armenian church. Shine, we pray, in our hearts, that we also in our generation may show forth your praise, who called us out of darkness into your marvelous light. The armenians maintain that the faith was preached there by the apostles bartholomew and thaddaeus. Gregory is credited with converting king tiridates the great r. He was a religious leader who is credited with converting armenia from paganism to christianity. Today the church remembers gregory the illuminator, bishop and missionary of armenia, c. When the trading port in singapore was founded in 1819, armenians were amongst the first merchants to arrive. Vatican unveils monument of saint gregory the illuminator.
St gregory armenian church saint gregory the illuminator. The st gregory armenian church, aka saint gregory the illuminator cathedral is located in yerevan. Coleman, it is considered as one of his masterpieces. Gayane and hripsime, meanwhile were nuns on the run gayane being an abbess from rome after emperor diocletian tried to. Zenob wrote that the colony was established by two indian princes who had taken refuge in armenia. Saint gregory the illuminator cathedral 360 stories. The early christianization of armenia ancient history. Saint gregory the illuminator cathedral is the largest armenian church in the world and is located in the kentron district of yerevan in armenia. Sep 30, 2010 saint gregory the illuminator, pray for us.
He was one of attendees of first council of nicaea. Gregory the illuminator and hindus in armenia history forum. This kingdom came to an unhappy end as an independent state in 430, yet some two and onehalf million persons today are still culturally armenians. Gregory the illuminator monastery in karin modem erzurum, a pilgrimage site until 1915. Saint gregory the illuminator or saint gregory the enlightener armenian.
Our mission is to teach, proclaim and be a place of healing as we grow together in our apostolic faith in christ. Gregory the illuminator armenian church of chicago is one of the oldest communities in the midwest. February 4 nobility and analogous traditional elites. Except of being magnificent and fascinating it also has a very interesting history. It is situated about 100 metres 330 ft away from the closed turkisharmenian border sealed by barbed wire fencing and defended by russian military establishments that guard the troubled border zone. It is here, in one of the armenian churchs most sacred places, that francis concluded his trip.
The credit for establishing christianity as the official religion of ancient armenia is traditionally given to saint gregory the illuminator or enlightener previously known as grigor lusavorich, c. Gregory as our example, we, too, can affect our world today. As the church was consecrated it was given the name st. Gregory the illuminator, saint article about gregory the. Khor viraps notability as a monastery and pilgrimage site is attributed to the fact that gregory the illuminator was initially imprisoned here for about 14 years by king tiridates iii of armenia. Gregory the illuminator simple english wikipedia, the. Visit gyumri is the main official tourism portal for gyumri, second largest city of armenia. As you may have read in a previous blog post, king drtad tiridates iii imprisoned st. It offers this informational website with detailed descriptions, media and introductions of where to go, what to see and what to do in gyumri. Of his life and times the best if not the only authorities are agathangelos, who was secretary to tiridates king of armenia, the persecutor and afterwards the convert of gregory, and simeon metaphrastes. Gregory the illuminator the catholic encyclopedia bible. It is the largest armenian apostolic church not only in armenia, but also in the world.
The infant gregory was smuggled to caesarea to escape the dying khosrovs order to. Armenia two small stairways lead down to the room where st. According to zenob glak, one of the first disciples of gregory the illuminator, the patron saint of armenia, a hindu colony was established in armenia sometime around 149 b. He was the first metropolitan of armenia and is revered as founder of the armenian church armenian church.
Gregory was transferred to the city of ardashad and thrown into a bottomless pit reserved for notorious criminals condemned to. Eastern diocese the pioneers of armenian immigration to the united states were young high school graduates who, beginning in 1834, arrived in small numbers in search of higher education at american universities. After his father assassinated the persian king chosroes i, the infant boy was rescued and taken to caesarea in cappadocia, where he was brought up as a christian. Gregory the illuminator and the armenian church is. The infant gregory was smuggled to caesarea to escape the dying khosrovs order to murder the entire family, was baptized, married, and had two sons. Yerevan, the capital and largest city of armenia, is 30 kilometres 19 mi to the north.
Jun 26, 2016 armenia two small stairways lead down to the room where st. Noahs flood and catastrophic plate tectonics from pangea to today duration. He is of unknown origins, but unreliable tradition has him the son of anak, a parthian who murdered king khosrov i of armenia when gregory was a baby. Thaddaeus especially the hero of the story of king abgar of edessa and the portrait of christ has been taken over by the armenians, with the whole story.
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