St. Gregory of Narek

St. Gregory of Narek (born 951, Narek, Armenia [now in Turkey]—died 1003; feast day February 27) was a Christian poet and theologian who is generally considered the first great Armenian poet and the principal literary figure in Armenia during the 10th century. He was renowned for his mystical poems and hymns, biblical commentaries, and sacred elegies. He is venerated as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, and the Roman Catholic Church. In 2015, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Pope Francis declared St. Gregory of Narek a doctor of the church for his timeless and theologically sound writings.

Gregory was born in the Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan in what is now Turkey. His father, Bishop Khosrov, authored a commentary on the Divine Liturgy, and Gregory was raised in a devout home. Upon the death of their mother, he and two of his brothers entered monastic life at a young age, and Gregory was ordained a priest about age 25. Commissioned by a prince, one of his first major works was Commentary on the Song of Songs, which has been celebrated for its clarity and theology. His masterpiece, a collection of 95 prayers which he described as “encyclopedia of prayer for all nations,” is his Book of Lamentations, or Prayer Book.