Geo Orthodox Church Marks St. Nino day

On June 1, Orthodox Church of Georgia marks the day of entrance of St. Nino, Equal to the Apostles, to Georgia.

St. Nino was born in the small town of Colastri, in the Roman province of Cappadocia. She was the only child of the famous Roman general Zabulon. On her father's side, Nino was related to St. George and on her mother's, to the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Houbnal I. St. Nino had a vision where the Virgin Mary gave her a Grapevine Cross and told her to preach in Iberia, the ancient Georgia.

On her way to Iberia, passing through Anatolia into Caucasus, Nino managed to convert some villages to Christianity in Northern Anatolia and Armenia.

Saint Nino reached the borders of ancient Georgian Kingdom of Iberia in about 323 A.D. There, she placed a Christian cross in the small town of Akhalkalaki and started preaching the Christian faith in Urbnis and finally reaching Mtskheta (the capital of Iberia). The Iberian King Mirian III and his nation worshiped the syncretic gods of Armazi and Zaden. However, after Nino's preaching and miracles, Queen Nana, then King Mirian and whole nation were converted to Christianity.

In 326 A.D. King Mirian made Christianity as the state religion of his kingdom.

Georgian Church marks St. Nino Day twice a year: on June 1 - the Entrance of St. Nino to Georgia and on January 27 - the day of her passing away.