Picture: Francesco Maggiotto · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Mesrop Mashtots
Armenian theologian and linguist (362–440)
SaintResearchedKingdom of ArmeniaPre-congregation
Feast: 17 February (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
361
verified
Died
441
verified
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Mesrop, born about 361, was secretary to the King of Armenia, but left the court, was ordained and lived in a monastery in great austerity, spending whole nights in prayer and study of Scripture.
With St Isaac the Great he created the Armenian alphabet and translated the Bible, giving his people the Scriptures in their own tongue. He died in 441.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
A monk who gave the Armenians their alphabet and their Bible.
Connected on this site
- Hovsep I Saint Pupil
- Moses of Chorene Saint Pupil“Movses identified himself as a young disciple of Mesrop Mashtots, inventor of the Armenian alphabet.” — Wikipedia
- Vardan Mamikonian Saint Pupil
- Isaac of Armenia Saint“He supported Mesrop Mashtots in the creation of the Armenian alphabet and personally participated in the translation of the Bible into Armenian.” — Wikipedia
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Mesrob
- Wikidata Q104804 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Mesrop Mashtots (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.