Arsenius the Great

Saint Arsenius the Great was Catholicos of Georgia in the ninth century, a learned historian and philologist and a builder of churches. He reposed in the Lord in the year 887, after twenty-⁠seven years of shepherding the Georgian flock.

He was the youngest son of a nobleman of Meskheti in southern Georgia named Mirian. Saint Gregory of Khandzta's companions Theodore and Christopher stopped at the family's home on their way to Abkhazia. Mirian and his wife Kravaia asked them to bless their children and, astonished at the fathers' virtue, entrusted their youngest son to their care. On the way back Saint Gregory brought young Arsenius to the monastery, together with the youth Ephraim, the future wonderworker and bishop of Atsquri. The monks of Khandzta received them with displeasure, since the rule of the monastery forbade the presence of youths, but Gregory assured them that this was an exceptional case in which the will of God would soon be revealed. He entrusted their upbringing to the hermits Theodore and Christopher.

When Arsenius came of age, his father Mirian bypassed the Church Council and on his own initiative had his son enthroned as catholicos of all Georgia, helped by a small group of bishops and laymen. His interference in the affairs of the hierarchy was a plain offence to the Church and the faithful. A council met at Javakheti and decided to ask Arsenius to resign, although its leader, Bishop Ephraim of Atsquri, had grown up with him. At that moment Saint Gregory arrived and assured the fathers that Arsenius's enthronement was the fulfilment of the will of God. The disturbance was calmed, the love between Ephraim and Arsenius was restored, and the catholicos blessed the old church at Khandzta.

By his God-⁠pleasing example and divine love Saint Arsenius enlightened the Georgian Church and the faithful until his last day. He is also remembered as a great historian and philologist. He is credited with the historical work On the Division of the Georgian and Armenian Churches, in which he argues that the Georgian Church followed the path of true Christianity steadfastly, while the Armenian Church strayed from it when it accepted the Monophysite heresy. Many hymns and Lives of saints are also his, notably The Life and Martyrdom of Abibos of Nekresi. He was also a builder of churches: he raised the cathedral of Tkobi-⁠Erda in the region of Ingushetia, in the valley of the Assa river.

He is commemorated on 25 September.