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(Created page with "{{Saints |SaintName=Saint Ignatius Maloyan |SaintStage=Saint |SaintBirthDate=04-19-1869 |SaintBirthPlace=Mardin, Ottoman Empire |SaintBirthCoordinates=37.313100, 40.743600 |SaintDeathDate=06-11-1915 |DeathPlace=Near Çınar (Diyarbakır Province), Ottoman Empire |SaintDeathCoordinates=37.716700, 40.416700 |SaintCauseOfDeath=martyrdom |NotableAddress1=Armenian Catholic Cathedral of the Forty Martyrs, Hof 18, 47000 Mardin, Turkey |NotableLabel1=Episcopal seat during minist...")
 
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{{Saints
{{Saints
|SaintName=Saint Ignatius Maloyan
|SaintName=Venerable Matt Talbot
|SaintStage=Saint
|SaintStage=Venerable
|SaintBirthDate=04-19-1869
|SaintBirthDate=May 2, 1856
|SaintBirthPlace=Mardin, Ottoman Empire
|SaintBirthPlace=Dublin, Ireland
|SaintBirthCoordinates=37.313100, 40.743600
|SaintBirthCoordinates=53.349800, -6.260300
|SaintDeathDate=06-11-1915
|SaintDeathDate=June 7, 1925
|DeathPlace=Near Çınar (Diyarbakır Province), Ottoman Empire
|DeathPlace=Dublin, Ireland
|SaintDeathCoordinates=37.716700, 40.416700
|SaintDeathCoordinates=53.349800, -6.260300
|SaintCauseOfDeath=martyrdom
|SaintCauseOfDeath=natural causes
|NotableAddress1=Armenian Catholic Cathedral of the Forty Martyrs, Hof 18, 47000 Mardin, Turkey
|NotableAddress1=Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Sean McDermott Street Lower, Dublin, Ireland
|NotableLabel1=Episcopal seat during ministry
|NotableLabel1=Tomb and primary shrine
|NotableCoordinates1=37.313100, 40.743600
|NotableCoordinates1=53.349800, -6.260300
|NotableAddress2=Convoy route near Çınar, Diyarbakır Province, Turkey
|NotableAddress2=Glasnevin Cemetery, Finglas Road, Dublin, Ireland
|NotableLabel2=Site of martyrdom
|NotableLabel2=Original burial site
|NotableCoordinates2=37.716700, 40.416700
|NotableCoordinates2=53.372300, -6.279300
|BeatificationDate=10-07-2001
|BeatificationDate=
|Beatifier=Pope John Paul II
|Beatifier=
|BeatificationLocation=St. Peter's Square, Vatican City
|BeatificationLocation=
|Canonized=Yes
|Canonized=No
|CanonizationDate=10-19-2025
|CanonizationDate=
|Canonizer=Pope Leo XIV
|Canonizer=
|CanonizationLocation=St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
|CanonizationLocation=
|FeastDay=June 11
|SaintMiracle1=
|Profession=bishop
|SaintMiracle2=
|ReligiousAffiliation=Armenian Catholic Church
|FeastDay=June 19
|Patronage=
|Profession=laborer
|Attributes=bishop's vestments; palm of martyrdom
|ReligiousAffiliation=Third Order of Saint Francis
|PrimaryShrine=Armenian Catholic Cathedral of the Forty Martyrs, Mardin, Turkey
|Patronage=struggling with alcoholism; addicts
|Attributes=chains; worker's clothes
|PrimaryShrine=Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Dublin, Ireland
|AdditionalVeneration=
|AdditionalVeneration=
|AssociatedCountries=Turkey; Armenia
|AssociatedCountries=Ireland
|AssociatedDioceses=[[Eparchy of Mardin]] (historical)
|AssociatedDioceses=[[Archdiocese of Dublin]]
|ReviewLevel=0
|ReviewLevel=0
}}
}}


'''Saint Ignatius Maloyan''' (Armenian: '''Իգնատիոս Մալոյան'''; born Chukrallah Maloyan; 19 April 1869 – 11 June 1915) was an Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin who was killed during the Armenian Genocide.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20011007_beatification.html |title=Beatification of Ignatius Maloyan and Companions |publisher=Holy See |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref> Born in Mardin to a family in the Armenian Catholic tradition, he pursued theological studies at the seminary in Bzommar, Lebanon, before ordination to the priesthood in 1896. After pastoral service in various communities, he was appointed archbishop of Mardin in 1911 by the Armenian Catholic Patriarch.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://saintignatiusmaloyan.com/biography/ |title=Biography of Blessed Ignatius Maloyan |publisher=Saint Ignatius Maloyan Official Site |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref>
'''Venerable Matt Talbot''' (May 2, 1856 – June 7, 1925) was an Irish ascetic and laborer whose dramatic conversion from alcoholism to a life of intense prayer and penance has made him a model for those struggling with addiction.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=430 |title=Venerable Matt Talbot |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref> According to verified biographical accounts from his contemporaries and the cause for canonization, Talbot was born into a poor Dublin family marked by alcoholism; from his early teens until age 28, he was a daily heavy drinker. In 1884, after a profound grace of repentance, he took a three-month pledge of abstinence, renewed it for life, and lived 41 years of sobriety sustained by daily Mass, spiritual reading, fasting, and chains of penance worn under his clothes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/venerable-matt-talbot/ |title=Venerable Matt Talbot |publisher=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref>


In the midst of the Ottoman government's actions against Armenian Christians in 1915, Maloyan was detained along with clergy and laity from his diocese. Facing intense pressure to renounce his faith, he steadfastly refused, encouraging his companions to stay strong. On 11 June, during a forced deportation toward Diyarbakır, he and many others were executed near Çınar.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://saintignatiusmaloyan.com/martyrdom/ |title=Martyrdom of Blessed Ignatius Maloyan |publisher=Saint Ignatius Maloyan Official Site |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref> Eyewitness reports preserved in Church records note his final affirmation of belief in Christ.
Declared Venerable on October 3, 1975, by Pope Paul VI after the diocesan process confirmed heroic virtue, Talbot's cause—opened in 1947—awaits an authenticated miracle for beatification as of late 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Talbot |title=Matt Talbot |publisher=Wikipedia |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref> His unofficial memorial is June 19, with June 7 marking his death. Widely invoked as patron of those struggling with alcoholism, his intercession is sought in recovery programs worldwide.
 
Beatified on 7 October 2001 by Pope John Paul II together with other martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, Maloyan’s cause recognized his heroic witness to faith under persecution. In 2024, Pope Francis approved his canonization without requiring a miracle, as allowed for martyrs. Canonized on 19 October 2025 by Pope Leo XIV at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, he is now honored as a saint. His feast day is observed on 11 June.


==Biography==
==Biography==


===Birth===
===Birth===
Saint Ignatius Maloyan, originally named Chukrallah, was born on 19 April 1869 in Mardin, Ottoman Empire, within an Armenian Catholic family.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://saintignatiusmaloyan.com/biography/ |title=Biography |publisher=Saint Ignatius Maloyan Official Site |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref>
Venerable Matt Talbot was born Matthew Talbot on May 2, 1856, in Dublin, Ireland, the second of twelve children of Charles Talbot, a dock laborer, and Elizabeth Bagnall.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=430 |title=Venerable Matt Talbot |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref> The family lived in poverty in the North Strand area during a time of widespread alcoholism among Dublin's working class.
 
Baptized shortly after birth in the Pro-Cathedral, Matt grew up in a nominally Catholic home where his father and brothers struggled with drink. Schooling was brief; by age 12, he left to work as a messenger boy for wine merchants.
 
These early experiences exposed him to alcohol, leading to his own dependency by adolescence. Family life, though loving, was marked by hardship and instability.


===Early Life===
===Early Life===
He completed initial education locally before entering seminary in Bzommar, Lebanon.
Matt's childhood reflected Dublin's industrial poverty. He attended Christian Brothers school briefly but prioritized work to support the family. By 13, he was employed in bottling stores, tasting liquor freely.
 
Teen years saw escalating drinking; friends recall him as cheerful but increasingly unreliable. He pawned clothes and tools for drink money, once even his boots.
 
At 18, a humiliating rejection by drinking companions—none would buy him a pint when broke—prompted crisis. Standing outside a pub, he experienced profound shame and grace.
 
This moment, often dated to 1884 at age 28, marked his turning point toward conversion.


===Occupation===
===Occupation===
Ordained priest in 1896; served in parishes prior to becoming archbishop of Mardin in 1911.
Matt worked as a bricklayer's laborer and hod carrier most of his adult life, employed by building firms in Dublin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/venerable-matt-talbot/ |title=Venerable Matt Talbot |publisher=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref> Hard physical work suited his ascetic temperament after conversion.
 
He rose early for Mass, worked diligently, and gave wages to the poor or church. Colleagues noted his reliability and quiet piety.
 
Later years brought health decline from penances; he retired around 1923 due to heart issues. Until death, he maintained simple labor when able.
 
His occupation embodied Franciscan ideal of work as prayer.


===Vocation===
===Vocation===
Maloyan’s episcopal service centered on guiding his flock through increasing difficulties faced by Christian communities in the Ottoman Empire.
Matt's vocation was lay asceticism in the world. After 1884 pledge, he attended daily Mass, confessed weekly, and read spiritual classics like Louis of Granada.
 
He joined the Third Order of Saint Francis, living its rule privately: chains under clothes, fasting, night vigils. Spiritual directors guided his intense penances.
 
Vocation focused on reparation for sins and souls, especially alcoholics. He offered sufferings redemptively, becoming “slave of Mary” through total consecration.
 
His example inspired Dublin's temperance movement and Pioneer Total Abstinence Association.


===Death===
===Death===
Arrested in early June 1915, Maloyan faced demands to abandon Christianity. He was killed on 11 June 1915 during a deportation convoy near Çınar.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://saintignatiusmaloyan.com/martyrdom/ |title=Martyrdom |publisher=Saint Ignatius Maloyan Official Site |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref>
By 1925, Matt's health failed from lifelong austerities and earlier excesses. On Trinity Sunday, June 7, 1925, he collapsed en route to Mass in Granby Lane, Dublin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Talbot |title=Matt Talbot |publisher=Wikipedia |access-date=2025-12-27}}</ref> Taken to hospital, he died soon after, aged 69.
 
Examination revealed penitential chains; news spread rapidly. Funeral drew thousands; reputation for holiness immediate.
 
Buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, relics translated to Our Lady of Lourdes Church in 1972.


Saint Ignatius Maloyan met his end through martyrdom.
Venerable Matt Talbot met his end peacefully.


===Significant events===
===Significant events===
* Ordained priest, 1896.
* Took lifelong sobriety pledge, 1884.
* Consecrated archbishop of Mardin, 1911.
* Joined Third Order of Saint Francis.
* Detained during Armenian Genocide, June 1915.
* Died June 7, 1925.
* Executed 11 June 1915.
* Declared Venerable October 3, 1975.


===Significant locations===
===Significant locations===
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===Parishes===
===Parishes===
{{Saint parish map|Where=Saint Ignatius Maloyan|zoom=7|Saint=Saint Ignatius Maloyan}}
{{Saint parish map|Where=Venerable Matt Talbot|zoom=7|Saint=Venerable Matt Talbot}}


===Media===
===Media===
{{Saint media|Where=Saint Ignatius Maloyan}}
{{Saint media|Where=Venerable Matt Talbot}}


===Shrines===
===Shrines===


====Dynamic shrines====
====Dynamic shrines====
{{Saint shrines|Where=Saint Ignatius Maloyan}}
{{Saint shrines|Where=Venerable Matt Talbot}}


==Canonization==
==Canonization==


===Servant of God===
===Servant of God===
Cause initiated after martyrdom.
Cause opened 1947.


===Venerable===
===Venerable===
Declared Venerable prior to 2001.
Declared Venerable October 3, 1975 by Pope Paul VI.


===Beatification===
===Beatification===
Beatified 7 October 2001 by Pope John Paul II.
Not yet beatified.


===Canonization===
===Canonization===
Canonized 19 October 2025 by Pope Leo XIV after approval by Pope Francis in 2024 without requiring a miracle.
Not canonized.


==Miracles==
==Miracles==
No individual miracles required for group beatification of Armenian Genocide martyrs or for this canonization, as permitted for martyrs.
No authenticated miracles required at current stage; numerous reported graces for sobriety.


==Patronage==
==Patronage==
No specific patronage declared.
Venerable Matt Talbot is patron of struggling alcoholics and addicts.


==Feast day==
==Feast day==
June 11
June 19


==Veneration==
==Veneration==
Saint Ignatius Maloyan is commemorated on 11 June among martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.
Venerable Matt Talbot is commemorated on June 19 with prayers for addiction recovery.


==External links==
==External links==
* [https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20011007_beatification.html Holy See: Beatification Homily]
* [https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=430 Catholic Online: Venerable Matt Talbot]
* [https://saintignatiusmaloyan.com/ Official Site: Saint Ignatius Maloyan]
* [https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/venerable-matt-talbot/ Franciscan Media: Venerable Matt Talbot]


==References==
==References==
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