Gregory Nazianzen, bishop and doctor - January 2nd
St Gregory Nazianzen (d. 389, Cappadocia) (Relics: Rome, Italy; Istanbul, Turkey; Mount Athos, Greece; Lisbon, Portugal)
The body of St Gregory Nazianzen was first buried near his hometown in Cappadocia and then later transferred to Constantinople. In the 8th century his remains were removed from Constantinople and brought to Rome by a group of Basilian nuns who were escaping the Iconoclastic persecutions in the East. These nuns were given residence in the Campo Marzio just north of the Pantheon in Rome. They then placed the remains of St Gregory Nazianzen within their church.
First Class Relics
Cathedral of St George (Ecumenical Patriarchate)
Yavuz Sultan Selim Mh.
34083 Fatih/Istanbul Province, Turkey
*On November 27, 2004 a major part of the relics of St Gregory Nazianzen and of St John Chrysostom were returned to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople by Blessed John Paul II and placed within this church.
St Peter’s Basilica
Rome, Italy
*Some relics of St Gregory Nazianzen rest within this basilica beneath the Altar of Our Lady of Succour. This altar is located near the entrance to the confessional area on the right side of the nave. In 2004 a major part of these relics were returned to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as noted above.
Santa Maria della Concezione in Campo Marzio
(Our Lady of the Conception in Campo Marzio)
Piazza Campo Marzio 45
Rome, Italy
*This church is north of the Pantheon.
*As noted above Basilian nuns brought the relics of St Gregory Nazianzen to Rome in the 8th century. They were kept in Rome at Campo Marzio and eventually placed within this church.
*With the exception of one arm the remains of St Gregory Nazianzen were transferred to St Peter’s Basilica in 1580. This arm remained at Santa Maria della Concezione as compensation and was eventually placed in the nearby church of San Gregorio. This relic, however, is not accessible to the general public since San Gregorio is the church used by the Deputies of the Italian Parliament.
Vatopedi Monastery
Mount Athos, Greece
*The skulls of both St Gregory Nazianzen and St John Chrysostom are said to rest within this monastery. They are preserved within ornate reliquaries.
Sé Catedral de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral)
Largo da Sé
1100-585 Lisbon, Portugal
*Placed within the Treasury of this church is a gilded silver arm reliquary that contains the right arm bone of St Gregory Nazianzen.
*Also within this Treasury is a reliquary chest which is said to contain some relics of St Vincent.
