St. Gregory the Illuminator (or Enlightener) is
the Patron Saint of the Armenian Church. He is referred to as "St. Gregory
the Illuminator", because he spread the light of Christ (teachings) and converted the Armenian people to
Christianity.
While Christianity was practiced in secret by a
growing number of people in Armenia during the first and second centuries, since
the Apostles Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew preached Christianity in Armenia,
thus becoming the founders of the Armenian Church, it was St. Gregory (302-325)
and King Trdat III (287-330) who in 301 A.D. proclaimed Christianity as the
official religion of Armenia and thus made Armenia the first nation in world
history to adopt Christianity as the state religion.