ARMENIAN CHURCH MARKS THE COMMEMORATION DAY OF HOLY MARTYRS

Aysor
Feb 8 2010
Armenia

Today Armenian Apostolic Church marks the commemoration day of
Bishop St. Mark, Priest St. Pion, Deacons St. Kyouregh (Cyril) and
St. Benjamin and holy martyrs Sts. Abdlmseh, Vormzdana and Sayen.

St. Mark was the Bishop of Aritus in the half of the 4th century.

Famous theological doctrines are ascribed to him. During the period of
reign of the king Julianus the Betrayer he was subjected to torments,
then he was exiled to a remote island, where he passed away dedicating
the last years of his life to Christian preaching.

Priest St. Pion also has been one of the devoted advocates of
Christianity. It is known that he has served in Smyrna, where he has
been martyred for preaching Christianity.

Deacon St. Kyouregh (Cyril) and St. Benjamin have been martyred for
the sake of Christian faith. Accusing Kyouregh (Cyril) in destroying
heathen temples, Julianus the Betrayer allowed the heathen priests
to judge him and the heathen priests subjected him to severe torments.

Deacon St. Benjamin was martyred during the period of reign of the
Persian king Hazkert I for preaching Christianity among the Persians.

Among the victims martyred during the period of reign of the King
Hazkert I were Vormzdana, minister of the Persian royal palace,
and Sayen, a Persian noble. Both of them being deprived of royal and
noble pleasures and privileges continued to remain loyal to Christian
faith and were martyred for the sake of Christian faith.

Abdlmseh was the son of rich Jews living in Persia. While pasturing his
father’s cattle Abdlmseh was acquainted with other Christians of the
same age, who baptized him and renamed Abdlmseh, which means "Servant
of Christ." Becoming aware of his son’s converting to Christianity
and not succeeding to force him to renounce of Christianity, his
father stabbed him in the same place where the saint had been baptized.