November 19 Celebration of Saints

November 19 Celebration of Saints

Our Lady of the Divine Providence

Saint Nerses the Great

Saint Nerses was born sometime in the fourth century. His mother was a princess and sister to the king of Armenia, and he was the grandson of a king and Saint Husik I (the grandson of Saint Gregory the Illuminator).

Nerses was raised in Caesarea and married a princess named Sanducht. They had a son named Sahak. After Sanducht’s death, he became sword-bearer to King Arshak II.

A few years later he would become a clergyman and in 353 he was elected to be “Catholico,” the patriarch of the church.

Before the ascendence of Herses, the church had mainly been connected with the royal court and nobility. Herses expanded the reach of the church to the people by building hospitals and schools, enacting rules on worship and religious rites and sending clergy around Armenia to preach to the people.

However, the king did not agree with all of Nerses’ reforms, and he exiled Herses to Edessa. During that time Nerses went to Constantinople to secure the emperor’s support of Armenia in their war against the Persians.

The emperor condemned the religious beliefs of Herses and exiled him to Xad. While there, he became the pontiff of the church of Armenia.

When King Papas took the throne he was more tolerant of Herses’ Arian beliefs and allowed him to return to his Holy See. But Herses considered Papas to be an unworthy leader and would not allow him to enter the church.

In 373, King Papas invited Nerses to dinner in order to resolve their differences. But instead of reaching an amicable resolution, the king poisoned Nerses.

Other Saints for Today

Other saints and the blessed beatified for this day include:

Saint Atto, Saint Azas and Companions, Saint Barlaam, Saint Crispin, Saint Ermenberga, Saint Faustus, Saint James of Sasseau, Saint Mechtildis of Helfta, Saint Medana, Blessed Raphael Kalinowski, Blessed Salvatore Lilli, Saint Severinus, SaintExuperius and Saint Felician.