On October 19, 2025, the Armenian Catholic Church, the worldwide Catholic faithful and the Armenian nation will witness a moment of spiritual and historical magnitude: the canonization of Blessed Armenian Catholic Archbishop Ignatius Maloyan as a saint of the universal Catholic Church.
The road to Maloyan’s sainthood began with the Church’s formal recognition of his martyrdom during the Armenian Genocide. In June 1915, during the darkest days of the Medz Yeghern, Maloyan, who was then the head of the Armenian Catholic community in Mardin (Province of Diyarbekir), was arrested, tortured and executed by Ottoman authorities after refusing to convert to Islam, choosing instead to affirm his loyalty to Christ and his flock.
The process of his beatification culminated on October 7, 2001, when Pope John Paul II, recognizing his death as “in odium fidei” (in hatred of the faith), declared him Blessed. This event placed Maloyan officially on the path toward sainthood.
The canonization process
Canonization in the Catholic Church involves two major steps: beatification and then canonization. Beatification allows the faithful to venerate the blessed in a specific region or context, whereas canonization authorizes universal veneration and names the person a Saint of the Church.
For canonization, the Vatican traditionally requires a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Blessed after beatification — a sign of God’s endorsement of their sanctity. In the case of martyrs, this requirement can be waived by the Pope, as martyrdom is considered a supreme witness to Christ.
In the years following his beatification, devotion to Maloyan continued to grow, especially among Armenians and Middle Eastern Catholics.
His image adorned churches, and his story was retold in liturgies, youth groups and prayer circles. Pilgrims visited his commemorative statue in Bzommar, Lebanon and spiritual leaders called for his full recognition as a saint.
Vatican recognition and the road to October 2025
Though the Vatican had not publicly released every detail of the process leading to the 2025 canonization, reports from Bzommar and other Catholic centers indicated a steady and deliberate campaign led by the Patriarchal Clerical Institute of Bzommar and the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate. Multiple letters of petition were submitted to Rome, emphasizing both Maloyan’s martyrdom and his growing veneration among the faithful.
In late 2024, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints concluded its study, and Pope Francis approved the canonization without the need for an additional miracle, as permitted in cases of martyrdom. The decision reflects not only Maloyan’s individual sanctity but also the Vatican’s continuing recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the spiritual sacrifice made by countless Armenian Christians.
A commemorative stamp issued by The Philatelic and Numismatic Office of the Vatican in 2015, derived from artwork by Raffi Yedalian
The official decree was released by the Holy See in early 2025, setting the date of the canonization for October 19, a day that will now forever be marked in the liturgical calendar.
The canonization ceremony will be held at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, led by Pope Leo XIV. Delegations from Lebanon, Armenia and the Armenian diaspora will be in attendance, alongside representatives of other Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Following the canonization, liturgical texts will include St. Ignatius Maloyan in the Catholic church calendar, and the Armenian Catholic Church will celebrate his feast annually on June 11, the day of his martyrdom. Special services will also be held in Bzommar and among diaspora communities from Bourj Hammoud to Los Angeles and Australia.
Humble beginnings in a sacred land
Saint Ignatius Maloyan was born Shukrallah Maloyan on April 15, 1869, in the city of Mardin, located in the Ottoman Empire’s province of Diyarbakir — a historic city nestled in the Mesopotamian plains, rich in religious and cultural diversity. At the time, Mardin was home to a large and vibrant Armenian Catholic community alongside other Christian groups, such as the Assyrian Catholics, Chaldeans and Protestants.
Shukrallah’s upbringing was deeply spiritual. Born into a devout and pious family, his early life was shaped by his family’s commitment to Christian values and Armenian identity. As a child, he displayed exceptional piety and a profound attachment to the Church. Before going to school, he would often serve at Mass, absorbing the rituals and spirit of the liturgy.
His father, Melkon, passed away before Shukrallah entered the priesthood. His mother, Farida (Terezia), would later share in his martyrdom, dying shortly after her son. His siblings suffered the same fate as many Armenians during the genocide — some were martyred, while others vanished from history. These tragedies would ultimately become central to the faith journey of Maloyan and the spiritual power of his witness.
Formation at Bzommar
At the age of 14, in 1883, Shukrallah was sent to the Patriarchal Clerical Institute of Our Lady of Bzommar, an Armenian Catholic seminary in Lebanon. Bzommar had long been a beacon of theological scholarship, spiritual training and cultural resilience. There, young Shukrallah received a well-rounded religious education, studying philosophy, theology, languages and most importantly, immersing himself in a life of prayer, simplicity and discipline.
Due to illness, he had to return to Mardin in 1888, but after a period of convalescence, he resumed his studies at Bzommar in 1891. In 1896, he was ordained a priest during the feast of Corpus Christi and took the name Ignatius (Iknadios) — after Saint Ignatius of Antioch, one of the early Church Fathers and martyrs, foreshadowing his own destiny.
A life of service
Father Ignatius Maloyan dedicated himself entirely to the service of God and the Armenian Catholic Church. His priestly mission took him across the Middle East. He served in Alexandria and Cairo from 1898 to 1904, tending to the needs of the growing Armenian diaspora in Egypt. Later, he worked in Constantinople (now Istanbul), where he served as the head of the archives and records office of the Armenian Catholic Church.
In these roles, he became known for his pastoral care, humility and love for his flock, and was also praised for his eloquence in preaching, his spiritual leadership and his work ethic.
Maloyan’s superiors and colleagues recognized in him a deep authenticity, a man of prayer as much as a man of action.
In 1910, he was assigned to Mardin to assist the aging Bishop Joseph Gulian. By October 22, 1911, Father Maloyan was consecrated as Archbishop of Mardin in Rome by Patriarch Paul Peter XIII Terzian. He returned to Mardin at the end of 1912 to lead his community during an increasingly perilous time.
The Armenian Catholic prelacy of Mardin counted more than 22,000 faithful. Archbishop Maloyan immediately began strengthening the educational and spiritual life of the diocese. He personally visited outlying villages, reinforced parish schools, elevated the standards of religious instruction and promoted the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and the Holy Rosary, encouraging both clergy and laypeople to deepen their commitment to the Church.
A leader in a time of trial
With the outbreak of World War I, the situation for Armenians in the Ottoman Empire deteriorated rapidly. Mardin, despite its loyalty to the state, was swept into the systematic plan to eliminate the Christian population.
On April 30, 1915, Ottoman authorities raided the Armenian Catholic church and confiscated all records, letters and archives. On May 1, Archbishop Maloyan gathered his clergy and delivered a spiritual testament of courage, unity and faith.
Knowing that persecution was imminent, he asked his priests to remain steadfast.
On June 3, 1915, Maloyan and over 400 Armenian men — priests, teachers, merchants and community leaders — were arrested by Turkish gendarmes. They were herded into prison under accusations of political conspiracy. In reality, their only “crime” was being Armenian Christians.
Inside the prison, Archbishop Maloyan was repeatedly interrogated and tortured. Turkish officials demanded he convert to Islam. They promised him survival, power and protection. Each time, he refused, calmly and unequivocally.
Eyewitnesses testified that he was beaten with rifle butts, insulted, deprived of water and food and subjected to humiliating mock trials. His jailers sought to break his spirit, but he remained serene, even joyful. He encouraged others, heard confessions and shared what little food he received.
The final journey: Maloyan’s caravan
On June 10, the prisoners were told they would be transferred to Diyarbakir for trial. In reality, they were being led to execution.
The forced march that followed is remembered by survivors as “Maloyan’s Caravan.” On the road, Maloyan continued to act as a pastor — comforting the terrified, distributing communion with crumbs of bread he had hidden in his robe and leading prayers aloud.
His conduct was so dignified, so luminous, that even one of the guards reportedly exclaimed: “We have not only a bishop here but a true saint walking among us.”
On June 11, near a ravine outside Mardin, the caravan halted. Maloyan was separated from the others and summoned before Rashid Bey, the local governor and orchestrator of the massacres. Rachid Bey once again offered him life in exchange for conversion. He tempted him with political office and gold. Maloyan, weakened by imprisonment, responded: “I have told you already. I shall never betray Jesus Christ. I am ready to die for Him.”
According to the testimony of soldiers and later confessions, Rashid struck Maloyan in the face, spat on him and ordered his execution. One soldier shot him through the neck. As he collapsed, the bishop’s final words were: “Lord, have mercy upon me. Receive my soul!”
He was 46 years old. His body was thrown into a mass grave, along with the others. His mother, Farida, died shortly thereafter — either of grief or at the hands of the authorities. Most of his family perished or were never seen again.
Witnesses and the truth preserved
Despite the attempts by the Ottomans to conceal their crimes, eyewitness accounts of Maloyan’s martyrdom survived. Clergy who escaped wrote down their memories. Foreign consuls, including American missionaries, confirmed the wave of massacres. Survivors of Maloyan’s caravan, like Father Ghevont Mouradian, preserved details of his heroic conduct.
One Turkish officer, horrified by the cruelty, later converted to Christianity and publicly confessed what he had witnessed — noting the “radiant face” and “supernatural peace” of Maloyan in his final hour.
A canonization of global significance
The upcoming canonization of Ignatius Maloyan is not only an Armenian or Catholic event — it is an event of global Christian significance.
Maloyan becomes a universal symbol of Christian martyrdom in the modern era. His canonization is also one of the rare instances in which the Catholic Church has canonized a victim of the Armenian Genocide, a historical wound still unhealed.
For the Armenian people, Maloyan represents not just one martyr among many — but the personification of their collective passion. The genocide was a national crucifixion. Maloyan became its bishop, its priest and its victim.
His martyrdom is a reminder that the Armenian nation has always found strength in faith. His canonization declares that the suffering of the Armenian people is not forgotten, not in vain and not buried in silence.
