Grigor Narekatsʻi, Saint, Grigor Narekatsi, Thomas Samuelian

Grigor Narekatsi (Armenian: Գրիգոր Նարեկացի; anglicized as Gregory of Narek; c. 950 – 1003/1011) was an Armenian mystical and lyrical poet, monk, and theologian. He is venerated as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Francis in 2015. The son of a bishop, Gregory was educated, ordained, and later stationed at Narekavank on the southern shores of Lake Van (modern Turkey). Scholars consider Gregory the most beloved and significant …