My Lord’s Noble Cross: Bl. Ignatius Maloyan’s Martyrdom

My Lord’s Noble Cross: Bl. Ignatius Maloyan’s Martyrdom

By Beckie Gautreau, Contributing Writer

I consider the shed of my blood for my faith to be the sweetest thing to my heart.
– Ignatius Maloyan

Canonization Date: October 19
Feast Day: November 6

On October 19, Pope Leo XIV will add another new saint to our canon—one who was heroic in many virtues, but especially in fortitude.

Ignatius Maloyan was born in Turkey in 1869 to Armenian Catholic parents. They gifted him the name Shoukrallah—meaning “thanks be to God”—but he chose the name Ignatius when he entered the monastery at the age of 14 in honor of Saint Ignatius of Antioch.

Ignatius Maloyan burned with love for God. He reportedly praised the monastery as the “hope of the nation.” He poured himself into his lessons on theology, philosophy, virtue, morality, and languages. He served in Cairo, Alexandria, and Constantinople. It wasn’t long before he progressed as a priest, pastor, and eventually bishop of his hometown, Mardin. 

However, outside the monastery and the Church, Ignatius’ world was rife with turmoil. The Ottoman Empire was torn by political tension and dueling factions. In this pre-World War I era, the empire saw demonstrations, battles, and assassinations as the Kurdish and Turkish peoples fought over control.

The Armenians were a minority within the society and thus an easy scapegoat for any problems. Armenians were accused of stealing wealth and jobs from other citizens and of secretly colluding with Russia—the enemy of the Ottoman Empire.

The Church leaders had to strike a delicate balance. The bishops and archbishops did not want to anger the government and thus incur more animosity for their people. At the same time, they had to watch the government commit despicable attacks on its citizens. The Church was able to provide aid for the victims, but many feared speaking up against the horrors.

The flames of hatred were stoked, however, when the Pope convened a synod to choose new bishops and archbishops. As this synod was held outside of the empire’s territory, rulers saw this as a message that the Church did not see Herself as subject to the Ottoman rule. 

Upon returning to Mardin, Ignatius found that a coup had just occurred, leaving one party in control of the government: the Committee of Union Progress. The populace was cast into turmoil. Even within the parishes, the people were divided over political differences. 

But Ignatius dedicated himself and his diocese to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He strove to bring the Christians together through his preaching. Beyond this, he also made a concerted effort to ingratiate himself to the governing officials. He never missed an opportunity to show his support and loyalty to the ruling party. He was so successful that he even received a medal of honor from the Sultan, Mehmed V.

However, despite all the efforts of Ignatius and his fellow Catholic leaders to cooperate with the government, tensions only rose.

When WWI started, young men were forcibly drafted. Soldiers invaded churches during Holy Week and Easter to steal men away for the army. House searches and public executions without trial became a common occurrence. Random violence, seizures of property, and even murder of Catholics became the norm. And soon, secret plans surfaced of a plot to exterminate all Armenian Christians within the empire. 

It seemed that nothing could stop what was coming. Ignatius and many other Christians in Mardin were rounded up and imprisoned. Ignatius was put on trial and accused of countless acts of terrorism and treason. Despite no evidence, he was given a sentence: Renounce your faith and become Muslim or die.

Ignatius replied:

“There is no way I would reject my religion and my Savior. I have been brought up in the Holy Catholic Church, assimilated the base of its truthful teachings from a young age and became proficient in its undisputable facts until I unworthily became one of its pastors. I consider the shed of my blood for my faith to be the sweetest thing to my heart because I know for sure that if I get tortured for the love of the One who died for me I would become one of the happiest blessed people and I will see my Lord and my God in heaven. You can only beat me and cut me into pieces but I will never deny my religion.”

The court became instantly enraged at his declaration. The officials present vowed to torture him in the most horrendous ways. At every violent blow, Ignatius was heard to cry out: “Oh Lord, have mercy on me! Oh Lord, give me strength!”

After his torture, Ignatius and his fellow prisoners were ordered to march through the town, out to the desert, and to a prison in Syria. Many were bleeding with open wounds or suffering from broken bones, but they were still forced to continue. When they arrived at their final prison, the archbishop and his fellow priests were able to give last rites to all the captives.

Ignatius was then given one last chance to convert to Islam and save his life. He said, “It’s strange that you ask me this again although I told you before that I would live and die loyal to my faith and can only boast about my Lord’s noble cross.” 

He was shot on the spot.

And this was only the beginning of the mass murder of approximately one million Armenians. Tragically, this genocide desensitized and emboldened future world powers to commit similar and more horrific atrocities.

But Ignatius Maloyan’s fortitude shines as a fierce contrast against the violence. Through his heroic example, he showed that although kingdoms may rise and fall, Jesus is the true Ruler over all. And to be loyal to Jesus will yield a far greater reward than loyalty to any princely power on earth.

O Saint Ignatius Maloyan, faithful shepherd of the Church. And courageous martyrs of the faith, you who have known suffering, prison, and martyrdom, teach me patience in difficulties, steadfastness in trials, so that I may never renounce my faith in Christ, but live and bear witness to Jesus as you did. Intercede for me and support me on the paths of life, so that one day I may be worthy to share with you the glory of Heaven.
Amen. 

– Prayer via Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church, Los Angeles, CA

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Since an early age, writer Beckie Gautreau has been lost in a world of imagination, writing fantastical tales of adventure and virtue. Since the same early age, she has had a deep love for God and things of heaven. You could say that her head is in the clouds in more ways than one!

From high school until the present, she has been joining whatever writing clubs she could, starting them when necessary. In college, she majored in Drama and Theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX, while taking as many creative writing classes as possible.

Being a homeschooling mom of four, she doesn’t have a lot of free time, but she uses the little she has on writing fiction and fantasy novels and meeting God in her garden.