On Saturday, December 17, the Armenia Church will remember St. James of Nisibis: a favorite saint of the Armenians, who is considered to be a nephew of St. Gregory the Illuminator.
St. James (known as Sourp Hagop in Armenian) was a celebrated 4th-century ascetic and theologian. In A.D. 308 he was appointed as the second bishop of the Christian community in the Mesopotamian city of Nisibis—modern Nusaybin, situated near the Syrian border of historic Armenia.
He was a signatory at the Council of Nicaea in 325, which devised the Nicene Creed (the Havadamk). St. James is also known as the first Christian to have searched for Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat. He died around A.D. 338.
The Eastern Diocese has four parishes named for St. James—in Evanston, IL; Richmond, VA; St. Petersburg, FL; and Watertown, MA—where the annual celebration of the saint’s name day holds special significance.
Click here to learn more about St. James of Nisibis.