Saint Frumentius, Enlightener of Abyssinia

Life

In the time of Emperor Constantine the Great, a certain learned man from Tyre named Meropius was traveling to India. He had taken with him two young Christian brothers, Aedesius and Frumentius. On that journey their ship was wrecked by a storm on the shores of Abyssinia, and the wild Abyssinians killed all the people from the ship except these two brothers, Aedesius and Frumentius. In Abyssinia they lived several years and succeeded in entering court service with the Abyssinian emperor. Frumentius began to preach the Christian Faith, but quite cautiously, and became convinced that the ground for such preaching was suitable and fruitful. Then both brothers boarded a ship and departed: Aedesius to Tyre to his parents, and Frumentius to Alexandria to the holy Athanasius the Great, Patriarch. Frumentius set forth to the Patriarch the situation in Abyssinia and requested pastors for the newly converted to the faith. Saint Athanasius ordained Frumentius as bishop. Saint Frumentius returned to Abyssinia, where by his zeal and miracles he succeeded during his lifetime in converting all Abyssinia to the Christian Faith. This great pastor of Christ's flock and enlightener of Abyssinia reposed peacefully in 370 and passed to the kingdom of his Lord.