When St. Frumentius visited the famous St. Athanasius to ask him to send priests and bishops to Ethiopia, Athanasius told him to go himself, and ordained him on the spot.

Frumentius was born in Tyre (what is now Lebanon) and was sent with a friend to live with a philosopher to receive an education. Around the year 330, their teacher decided to travel the known world, and he took the two boys with him.

When their ship wrecked near modern-day Ethiopia, the native people attacked the travelers—all but the two boys were killed, including their teacher. The boys were captured and taken to the king of the region.

The king was impressed with their learning and commanded them to serve his court. The two served the royal family for years, and when the king died they were granted their freedom. The queen asked them to remain to assist in the management of the kingdom until her sons were old enough to reign, and they both decided to stay.

When her sons came of age, Frumentius and his friend were faced with a decision to leave. His friend returned to Tyre, but Frumentius felt called to spread the faith through Ethiopia. He went to the bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, a center of power and learning in the Church, and asked the great St. Athanasius to send pastors. Athanasius immediately recognized that no one would be better suited to the job than Frumentius—he ordained the missionary and sent him instead.

Frumentius went back to Ethiopia and brought many to the faith by his preaching and miracles. Ten years after his return, Christianity was named the official state religion of the kingdom. Even the royal household was baptized—they are still honored as saints in the Ethiopian Church. Frumentius was known as “our father” and “father of peace.”

St. Matthew is said to have first evangelized Ethiopia, but Frumentius is known as the apostle to that nation because of his effectiveness in converting people to the faith. It is said that the early diocese of Louisiana observed the feast of St. Frumentius in the 1700s, possibly as an acknowledgment of the Africans enslaved there.

St. Frumentius, who survived shipwreck and evangelized a nation, pray for us!

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Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Frumentius is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed October 4, 2024.