St. Gregory of Narek (about 951–1003) was an Armenian monk, priest and poet of the monastery of Narek, near Lake Van, whose Book of Lamentations, ninety-five prayers “speaking with God from the depths of the heart,” is the best-loved book of Armenian spirituality after the Bible. Honored as a saint by the Armenian Church for a thousand years, he was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Francis in 2015, the first Armenian to receive the title. His feast day is February 27. Below are his story, the spirit of his prayer, Scripture and a prayer to St. Gregory of Narek.
A short prayer to St. Gregory of Narek, written for this page:
St. Gregory of Narek, you cried to God from the depths of your heart and trusted in His mercy.
Pray for the Armenian people and for all who suffer,
and teach me to pray honestly, humbly and with great hope. Amen.
Who was St. Gregory of Narek?
Gregory was born around 951 into a family of scholars in the kingdom of Vaspurakan, in historic Armenia. His father became a bishop, and Gregory was raised and educated at the monastery of Narek, on the southern shore of Lake Van, where he lived as a monk, priest and teacher for the rest of his life. He wrote a commentary on the Song of Songs, hymns and odes still sung in the Armenian liturgy, and, near the end of his life, the Book of Lamentations, also called simply the Narek. He died around 1003 and was buried at Narek.
The Book of Lamentations
Each of its ninety-five prayers begins “speaking with God from the depths of the heart.” In them Gregory confesses his sins with startling honesty, as if in the name of every sinner, yet never despairs: every lament turns to trust in God’s mercy, in Christ’s Cross, and in the intercession of the Mother of God. Armenian families have kept the Narek beside the Bible for centuries, placing it under the pillow of the sick and praying it in times of trouble. His spirit echoes the psalm of the depths (Psalm 129:1–4, Douay-Rheims; Psalm 130 in other numberings):
Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord:
Lord, hear my voice. Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it.
For with thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by reason of thy law, I have waited for thee, O Lord. My soul hath relied on his word:
See De Profundis.
Doctor of the Church
On April 12, 2015, at a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica marking the hundredth anniversary of the Armenian genocide, Pope Francis proclaimed Gregory of Narek a Doctor of the Church. In 2021 his optional memorial was added to the General Roman Calendar.
Feast day
The optional memorial of St. Gregory of Narek, abbot and Doctor of the Church, is February 27.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Book of Lamentations of St. Gregory of Narek?
A book of ninety-five prayers written around the year 1000, the classic of Armenian spirituality.
When was St. Gregory of Narek named a Doctor of the Church?
On April 12, 2015, by Pope Francis.
When is his feast day?
February 27.
More saints
- Doctors of the Church
- De Profundis (Psalm 130)
- St. Ephrem the Syrian
- Act of Contrition
- Patron saints of countries
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- Psalm 129:1–4 (Douay-Rheims).