Saint Frumentius, Bishop

October 27 Today is the feast day of Saint Frumentius.  Ora pro nobis. Saint Frumentius was born in Tyre, Lebanon.  Frumentius and his brother were taken on a voyage to Ethiopia while still young children by their uncle, Meropius, a Christian philosopher and explorer. During the voyage, tragedy struck and the ship was attacked by barbarian pirates while harbored in a community on the Red Sea. The entire crew, with the exception of the two children, were slain, and the ship destroyed. Frumentius and Aedesius were taken as slaves. The two youth were unlike the people of the region in appearance, and as such were given to the king of Axum as a curiosity. He was immediately taken with their youth, beauty, and wit, and installed them as members of his court, seeing to their education, and providing them protection and care. Aedesius would eventually become the king’s cup-bearer, and Frumentius his secretary. The king, on his deathbed, thanked them for their services and in reward gave them their liberty. After his death the queen begged them to remain at court and assist her in the government of the state until the young prince came of age; this they did, ...

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