St. Gregory brought Christianity to Armenia. His father Anak killed King Khosrov I of Armenia, and young Gregory was sent to Caesarea to avoid being killed in revenge. He was married and the father of two sons. He became b ishop of Ashtishat, Armenia and was a great and successful evangelist. He helped free Armenia from the rule of Persia. Captured on his return to his native land, he was held prisoner and tortured for 13 years by the son of King Khosrov. Gregory's example led to the king's conversion to Christianity, and together they evangelized and converted most of Armenia.  

St. Gregory the Illuminator is one of the most significant individuals in Armenian history. His strong devotion to the Christian faith and tenacious persuasion in the ultimate goal of making all of the Armenian nation Christian, earned him not only canonization of the Armenian Church, but has made him a divine being in the eyes of all Armenians . The Armenian nation today remembers his remarkable accomplishments and shows deep respect to St. Gregory, who was directly responsible in the preservation of the Armenian nation and culture as a whole.