Commemorations for Kiahk 15 This day marks the departure of St.
Gregory, the Patriarch of the Armenians who was a martyr,
without bloodshed (A Confessor). This saint, as it was mentioned
on the 19th day of the Coptic month of Tute, was tortured by
Tiridates, the Armenian king, in the year 272 A.D. for
disobeying the king and refusing to worship the idols. The king
cast the saint into an empty pit where he lived for 15 years,
during which God took care of him. Near the pit lived an old
widow, who saw, in a vision, someone telling her to make bread
regularly and cast it into this pit. She continued to do so for
15 years. Because of the length of time, no one in his
congregation knew if he was alive or dead. When the king killed
Arbsima, the virgin, and all the virgins who were with her, he
also ordered that their bodies be cast away on the mountains.
Later on he regretted what he did for he wanted to marry
Arbsima. When the king's family and close advisers saw how he
grieved for killing St. Arbsima, they advise