St. Nerses the Gracious, Armenian Apostolic saint, added to Roman Martyrology
May 19, 2026
Pope Leo XIV announced the inclusion of St. Nerses the Gracious, a saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church, in the Martyrologium Romanum (Roman Martyrology), the Church’s compilation of saints and blesseds.
“Nerses Shnorhali (1102—August 13, 1173), Catholicos of Armenia from 1166 to 1173, is recognized and venerated by the Armenian tradition as one of its greatest saints,” the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity said in a statement. “Remembered as a pastor, theologian, poet, hymn writer, and forerunner of modern ecumenism, he received the title ‘Shnorhali’ from his contemporaries for the irenic nature of his writings.”
“During his ministry as bishop and Catholicos, he worked for reconciliation among the Churches, especially between the Armenian Church and the Byzantine Orthodox Church,” the dicastery continued. “His hymns are part of the Armenian liturgy—both Apostolic and Catholic—and numerous churches are dedicated to him.”
The dicastery noted in its statement that other non-Catholic Eastern Christians—St. Gregory of Narek, St. Isaac of Nineveh, and the 21 Coptic martyrs of Libya—have been recognized as saints in the Roman Martyrology.
“It is hoped that the inclusion in the Roman Martyrology of Nerses Shnorhali, a witness to the precious Christian spiritual heritage of the Armenian tradition, will contribute to the rediscovery of his teaching and to the unity of all Christ’s disciples,” the dicastery said.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
