SONS AND GRANDSONS OF ST. GREGORY

Catholicos Arisdages

This Saturday, July 20, the Armenian Church commemorates the sons and grandsons of St. Gregory the Illuminator, namely, Sts. Aristakes, Vrtanes, Housik, Grigoris, and Daniel (who was not related, but was a distinguished and favorite student of St. Gregory). All of them continued the work of St. Gregory, preaching the word of Christ to pagans at great personal peril.
 
Gregory had two sons, Aristakes and Vrtanes. Aristakes, the younger son, succeeded Gregory as Catholicos and was martyred around 333 AD. Aristakes represented the Armenian Church at the first ecumenical council at Nicaea in 325. It was at this council that the Nicene Creed, recited to this day during the Divine Liturgy, was written and adopted. Vrtanes, at this time over 70 years old, was called upon to become catholicos and served for eight years until his death. Vrtanes had two sons, Grigoris and Housig. Grigoris preached in the northern provinces of Armenia (present day Georgia) where he was martyred in 347. Daniel, who as noted above was not related to Gregory, is included with the sons and grandsons. He was chosen to succeed Housig as catholicos, but never actually served as he too was martyred one year later in 348.

Also commemorated this week:

Thursday, July 18: The Holy Forefathers: Adam, Abel, Seth, Enosh, Enoch. Noah, Melhizedek, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, Joshua, Samuel, Samson, Jephthah, Barak, Gidon.
 
Monday, July 22: The Holy Maccabees, Eleazar the priest, Samona and her seven sons.
 
Tuesday, July 23: The Twelve Holy Prophets: Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jonah, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. 

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