MartyrUnknown

Martyr Christopher of Guria

Also known as Christopher Guruli

A Georgian martyr of Guria whose memory is preserved in Church tradition, though few details survive.

August 16New Calendar

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August 29Old Calendar

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Commemorated as

The Holy Martyr Christopher of Guria

Life

Christopher of Guria is a Georgian martyr commemorated on August 16. He is known in tradition by the epithet "Guruli," which marks him as a native of Guria, a province in western Georgia. On the basis of this designation, Church historians have concluded that he labored within Georgia, though almost no other biographical detail about him survives.

The sources that preserve his memory are candid about how little is known. It is commonly held that he suffered martyrdom, but no dated passion account, century, or account of the circumstances of his death has been preserved. His standing as a martyr rests chiefly on the persistence of his name in Georgian ecclesial memory and his continued commemoration in the Church calendar.

Troparion & Kontakion2 hymnsReadHide

TroparionTone 3

Your holy martyr Christopher, O Lord,
through his sufferings has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.
For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through his intercessions, save our souls!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

KontakionTone 2

(Podoben: “You sought the heights...”) You appeared as a bright star announcing Christ with your radiance,
which is repulsive to this world, O Martyr Christopher;
extinguishing the allure of false gods,
you enlighten the faithful,
always interceding for us all.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Contributions & Legacy

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Sources and What Is Known

The synaxarion entries that mention Christopher of Guria are explicit that the historical record concerning him is sparse: his name has been preserved and he is commemorated, but the documentation needed to establish the particulars of his life and martyrdom does not survive. He is listed among the Georgian saints commemorated on August 16, a day dominated liturgically by the Afterfeast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

A short account of him is attributed in Georgian hagiographical literature to Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze's collection of the lives of the Georgian saints, which likewise transmits only the bare facts of his Georgian origin and his reputed martyrdom rather than a detailed narrative.

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints