St. Gayané

St. Gayané Church is located in the Armavir region in the city of Etchmiadzin. It was built by Catholicos Yezr I Parazhnakerttsi (630-641) at the site of St. Gayané’s torture and subsequent beheading. The front hall was added to the church in 1683 during general renovations.

St. Gayané along with other virgins fled Rome during the Diocletian persecutions, going first to Jerusalem, and then to Armenia. It is said that the Roman Emperor had fallen in love with one of the virgins in Gayané’s convent–the comely Hripsimé (See the description of St. Hripsimé Church for the full story). When Hripsimé refused his advances, he martyred Gayané, Hripsimé and the other sisters. This happened during the last years of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s captivity in the deep pit (Khor Virap). Upon his release, St. Gregory had a vision which inspired him to build chapels to the memory of the courageous Sts. Gayané, Hripsimé, and his vision, called Shoghakat in Armenian.

Reflection

In our silent prayers, let us give thanks to God for protecting this church through the centuries. Let us remember the inventors of the Armenian alphabet Sts. Sahak Partev and Mesrop Mashtots (5th cent.) and their circle of translators whom this church honors, as well as the builder of the church, Prince Vahan Amatuni (5th cent.) and its renovator Catholicos Pilipos I Aghbaketsi (17th cent.).