The Patron Saint of Our Church

Saint Leon, Soorp Ghevont (Arm.) Armenia, during the fifth century, was partitioned into two major regions. Eastern Armenia which was under the Persian rule, and Western Armenia which was under the Byzantine rule. The governor of each of the two major regions of Armenia was assigned by the two supreme powers, the Byzantines in the western region and the Persians in the eastern region.

Nakharars, i.e. local nobles or princes, had some control over certain positions in the government of the regions. The Capital of Persian Armenia was Dvin. It was also the center of trade in Armenia, which served also as a passage for the trade caravans of the Persians and the Byzantines. The Sasanids, who were the rulers of the Persian Empire during the fifth century, appointed Marzbans to rule and control the section of Armenia under their control. Marzbans had administrative, judicial, legislative and religious powers. Almost equally authoritative was the Magbed, i.e. chief of the Zoroastrian priests, who also resided in Dvin. Every district in Armenia had its appointed tax collector who were overseen by a supervisor who controlled also the trade and gold mines of Armenia.

With the conversion of the Byzantine Empire to Christianity and the establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the empire and the army, Armenians, and Christians in general, under the Persian rule were viewed as a threat to the government. The Persians, consequently, increased their interference with the church affairs in Armenia. Leaders of the Armenian Church were assigned by the Persian Empire. Catholicos were removed and replaced to secure the loyalty of the Armenians to the Persian throne. In certain cases, even non-Armenians were given the title of Catholicos. Christianity, however, was tolerated in Persian Armenia until the end of the forth decade of the century.

With the ascend of Yazdgird II to the throne of the Persian Empire, in A.D. 439, the situation was drastically changed. Yazdgird with his ruling council made the decision to impose Zoroastrianism, the religion of fire worship, on Armenia. When Armenians refused to denounce Christianity and resisted the Persian pagan religion, a new era of persecution and religious intolerance began in Armenia. The Persians were determined to destroy the Christian faith of the Armenians and reestablish their pagan religion of fire-worship. Taxes were increased, Armenian nobles and army general were arrested and church leaders were persecuted. Armies of Zoroastrian priests were sent to Armenia to persecute the Christian population of Armenia and impose Zoroastrianism on them.

By AD 450, Armenians, Georgians and Caucasian Albanians were in open rebellion against the Persians. Finally, an official ultimatum was delivered to the Armenians, either to convert to the Persian religion or suffer the consequences of a Persian invasion. During these times, a child named Leon was born into an Armenian Christian family in the Ichevan village of the Vanant region in Armenia. After receiving his elementary education, he went to Bizantium to continue his higher education. Leon decided to join the missionary group of the great illuminators, saints Sahag and Mesrob. He studied under saints Sahag and Mesrob and was ordained a celibate priest. St. Leon knew the Armenian and the Greek languages well. He was one of the senior translators, with Yeznig and Gorune, who worked with Sts. Sahag and Mesrob in translating the Bible into Armenian.

As the Persian threats against Christianity and the Church in Armenia increased, St. Leon emerged as a zealot leader of his people and a defender of Christianity in Armenia. Together with the other clergy St. Leon lead the resistance movement in the cities of Armenia. St. Leon lived in Pagravant and was the locum tenens for Catholicos Sahag. When, in the summer of 450 A.D. the Magis came with the apostates from Persia to the city of Ankgh, in the region of Pagravant, and began to destroy the sanctuaries in the town to turn it into a temple for fire worhip, St. Leon led a group of clergy and faithful people and immediately chased the Magis with great courage and dispersed them. Yeghishe, the famous Armenian historian, tells us about the courageous role St. Leon and his clergy played, resisting the Persian invasion and protecting the Christian faith.

"On Sunday, 25 days later, the Magbed himself arrived with the Magi and a strong force and tried to break the doors of the Church. This was an attempt to see how his plan would fare. But the holy priest Ghevont was ready on the spot together with his principle associates and many from the holy league, and would not allow them to proceed. Though he was not aware of ... the striking power of the Magbed, he did not wait for the arrival of the bishops, nor would he tolerate the iniquitous prince even slightly or excuse him; on the contrary, he raised a great cry and created panic among the troops and the magi; ... Armed with clubs, [the Armenians clashed with the Magi and the Magbed and]... forced them back to their camp. Thereafter, they served the Divind Liturgy in the Church." (Yeghsihe. New York: The Delphic Press, 1952, p. 66). St. Leon inspired the Armenian army generals to resist the Persian imposition of Zoroastrianism. He convinced General Vartan to organize a strong army and to lead his people to fight the enemies of Christianity and defend the Armenian faith and homeland.

Meanwhile, St. Leon gathered the clergy around him and joined the army preaching and inspiring the soldiers and fighting side by side with them. The Persian and Armenian armies met in a battle in Avarayr in A.D. 451. On the eve of the battle, St. Leon spent the night preaching to the soldiers and reminding them of the supreme sacrifice of the Savior. All the soldiers and generals of the army joined in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and received the Holy Communion. Next morning, the two armies clashed. During the ensuing battle, General Vartan was martyred and the Armenian forces collapsed. Fr. Leon and other clergy were captured, subjected to unbearable tortures in order to force them to denounce Christianity and revert to the pagan religion of fire-worship.

The historian Yeghishe describes the horrible tortures and sufferings that the holy priests had to endure in Persian captivity. "Inspite of all that," adds Yeghishe, "the holy men never became disturbed nor distressed; on the contrary, they endured the torture with great patience and performed their daily services by singing psalms incessantly. After they finish their prayer they lay on the hard floor to rest in cheerful contentment. But the guards, keeping watch over prisoners, were exceedingly amazed at their unfailing health, as they kept hearing the constant sound of their voices." (Yeghishe, p. 179).

After enduring the unbearable torture and refusing to denounce Christianity, the holy priests were finally put to death by the sword. Avarayr is the first battle fought in defense of Christendom in the history of the world. Although, Armenians lost the battle of Avarayr, they were victorious in resisting the pagan faith and preserving Christianity in Armenia. The determination of their leaders such as St. Leon and General Vartan enabled them to win the war against the enemies of Christianity and to guard this life-giving faith for the future generations of Armenians.

St. Leon became the patron saint of the Armenian clergy. His fiery sermons, knowledge, wisdom and dedication to his church and people, made him one of the great figures of the fifth century. He is remembered in the Armenian church calendar two days before the commemoration of Vartanatz Day, when St. Vartan and the spiritual victory of the battle of Avarayr are commemorated. Saint Leon's courageous spirit, patriotism and devotion to the Armenian Church and people, have been, and remains to be, a source of pride and inspiration for more than sixteen centuries.

"May the memory of the righteous be blessed unto eternity. Amen"