Ignatius Maloyan was born (Shukrallah Maloyan) in Mardin in 1869. Educated at the Armenian Catholic seminary in Bzommar, Lebanon, he was ordained a priest in 1896 and consecrated Archbishop of Mardin in 1911. He was known as a devoted and zealous shepherd who tirelessly worked to strengthen his flock’s faith, notably promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

As the political situation deteriorated in the Ottoman Empire, Archbishop Maloyan became a target of the Young Turk regime’s genocidal campaign against Armenians.

Martyrdom: The Ultimate Testimony
In June 1915, at the beginning of the deportations and massacres, Archbishop Maloyan was arrested alongside his priests and hundreds of laymen.

Torture and Refusal: In prison, he was subjected to brutal torture, including the extraction of his toenails, and repeatedly pressured to renounce his Christian faith and convert to Islam to save his life.

Final Words: He steadfastly refused, stating his absolute fidelity to Christ: “If Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God, was crucified for me, why should I not be ready to die for Him too?”

Death: He was executed by gunshot on a forced march near Diyarbakir on June 10 or 11, 1915. His final words, “My God, have mercy upon me; into your hands I commend my spirit!”, affirmed his martyrdom in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith).

Canonization and Legacy
Maloyan was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2001 as a martyr. His final elevation to sainthood on October 19, 2025, made him one of the official holy witnesses of the faith and a symbol of the immense suffering endured by the Armenian people.

Saint Ignatius Maloyan is a powerful example of spiritual courage, providing a universal model of faith and endurance against ethnic and religious persecution.

Article written by Avo Kechichian 2025-1-HU01-ESC51-VIJ-000346033