Born in Mesopotamia in the early 4th century, both his parents were converts and his father had been a pagan priest. 

St. Jacob, the second Bishop of Nisibis, where Ephrem grew up, was a huge influence, he Baptized and taught him, eventually made him a teacher and, later, ordained Ephrem as a Deacon though he never became a priest. 

Nisibis was constantly under attack and survived all of them but the Christian Emperor of Mesopotamia was forced to surrender the city to the Persians, who expelled all the Christians. 

Ephrem went to Odessa in Greece, where he became widely known as a great writer, teacher, and biblical scholar. 

His insight into the last judgment may have been what inspired “Dante’s Inferno”. 

He died on this day in 373 and is the only Syrian who is a Doctor of The Church. 

St. Ephrem, please pray for us.