Who Was St. Frumentius?

St. Frumentius’ life changed forever as a young boy on a journey with his uncle Meropius and brother Edesius. In his youth, their ship sailed along the Red Sea toward Ethiopia, a land of great mountains. They stopped at a port when trouble struck. Local people, for their own reasons, launched a fierce attack, killing Meropius and the crew, and wrecking the ship. But Frumentius and Edesius were spared, found safe under a tree, protected by God.

This wasn’t the end—it was a divine beginning! The attackers took the two boys as slaves to Aksum, Ethiopia’s great city. Imagine traveling far from the shore, dusty and tired, to a king’s palace. Frumentius trusted in Christ’s guidance, holding onto faith. The dramatic shipwreck brought him to a new land of spices, leather, and towering stones called stelae, though it wasn’t home yet.

This adventure tested Frumentius’ courage. He could’ve longed for home, but he clung to faith, even as a slave. The wrecked ship opened the door to a mission he didn’t expect. For Coptic and Ethiopian children, this shows how God can use difficult times to start something great. Frumentius didn’t know it then, but this shipwreck was the first step to shining Christ’s light in Ethiopia.