Saint Shushanik prayer card.jpg
Saint Shushanik prayer card.jpg

Saint Shushanik Prayer Card – Patron for Domestic Abuse Survivors, Faithful Endurance in Marriage & Courage to Refuse Forced Conversion

$3.00

Saint Shushanik was an Armenian Christian princess and martyr whose holiness was forged inside her own home. She is venerated in the Armenian Apostolic Church and honored by Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians as a woman who endured brutal domestic abuse, spiritual coercion, and prolonged imprisonment rather than abandon Christ.

Her principal feast is celebrated on August 2 in the Armenian tradition, with related commemorations in Georgian Orthodox calendars.

Saint Shushanik did not suffer at the hands of strangers.

She suffered at the hands of her husband.

When her spouse, Prince Varsken, renounced Christianity for political advantage and attempted to force Shushanik to do the same, she refused. That refusal cost her everything: safety, comfort, freedom, and eventually her life.

People pray to Saint Shushanik today for healing from domestic abuse, for strength to endure betrayal inside marriage, and for courage to remain faithful when pressured by family or authority. She understands what it means to be trapped in a home that becomes a prison. She understands the loneliness of spiritual isolation. She understands the terror of saying no when the person hurting you is someone who once promised love.

She also understands how God meets souls in locked rooms.

This prayer card is for women suffering silently, for spouses navigating spiritual abandonment, and for anyone whose faith is being tested inside their closest relationships. Saint Shushanik does not offer easy answers. She offers companionship in suffering and courage to remain faithful.

Each card is handmade in Austin and created to order. We do not keep stock, because every prayer card is treated as a unique devotional offering. They are printed on museum-quality photo paper, not cardstock, and each one is made during prayer. The saints are venerated throughout the entire process, and prayers are intentionally offered for the person who will receive the card. These are not mass-produced items. They are created slowly, reverently, and with spiritual intention, because every soul and every prayer matters.

Saint Shushanik was an Armenian Christian princess and martyr whose holiness was forged inside her own home. She is venerated in the Armenian Apostolic Church and honored by Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians as a woman who endured brutal domestic abuse, spiritual coercion, and prolonged imprisonment rather than abandon Christ.

Her principal feast is celebrated on August 2 in the Armenian tradition, with related commemorations in Georgian Orthodox calendars.

Saint Shushanik did not suffer at the hands of strangers.

She suffered at the hands of her husband.

When her spouse, Prince Varsken, renounced Christianity for political advantage and attempted to force Shushanik to do the same, she refused. That refusal cost her everything: safety, comfort, freedom, and eventually her life.

People pray to Saint Shushanik today for healing from domestic abuse, for strength to endure betrayal inside marriage, and for courage to remain faithful when pressured by family or authority. She understands what it means to be trapped in a home that becomes a prison. She understands the loneliness of spiritual isolation. She understands the terror of saying no when the person hurting you is someone who once promised love.

She also understands how God meets souls in locked rooms.

This prayer card is for women suffering silently, for spouses navigating spiritual abandonment, and for anyone whose faith is being tested inside their closest relationships. Saint Shushanik does not offer easy answers. She offers companionship in suffering and courage to remain faithful.

Each card is handmade in Austin and created to order. We do not keep stock, because every prayer card is treated as a unique devotional offering. They are printed on museum-quality photo paper, not cardstock, and each one is made during prayer. The saints are venerated throughout the entire process, and prayers are intentionally offered for the person who will receive the card. These are not mass-produced items. They are created slowly, reverently, and with spiritual intention, because every soul and every prayer matters.

  • THE LIFE & STORY OF SAINT SHUSHANIK

    Saint Shushanik lived in the fifth century and was born into Armenian nobility. She was raised in Christian faith and married Prince Varsken, a regional ruler serving under Persian authority.

    At first, her marriage appeared politically advantageous and stable.

    That stability did not last.

    Varsken abandoned Christianity to gain favor with Persian rulers and adopted Zoroastrianism. He demanded that Shushanik follow him. When she refused, declaring her loyalty to Christ, he reacted with rage.

    Her punishment was immediate and severe.

    She was beaten publicly.
    She was stripped of status.
    She was imprisoned in dark cells.
    She was chained, starved, and repeatedly tortured.

    This was not a brief persecution.

    It lasted years.

    Shushanik lived in confinement, physically weakened but spiritually unbroken. Priests secretly brought her Communion. Faithful believers sought her prayers through prison walls. Her suffering became known throughout the region, and many were strengthened by her quiet endurance.

    Her interior struggle was immense.

    She endured abandonment by her husband.
    She endured isolation from her children.
    She endured pain without legal protection.

    Yet she did not curse.

    She prayed.

    She forgave.

    She continued to confess Christ with every breath.

    After years of imprisonment and abuse, Saint Shushanik died from injuries sustained through torture, around the year 475. Her death was not dramatic in the world’s eyes. There were no armies. No political reversals.

    But her witness reshaped how Christians understood marital suffering, spiritual courage, and feminine sanctity.

    She became one of the earliest known female martyrs whose holiness emerged inside domestic violence rather than public persecution.

    Saint Shushanik teaches that Christ enters even the most violent homes.

    And He does not abandon those who remain faithful in silence.

  • MIRACLES & PATRONAGE

    Saint Shushanik is especially close to those suffering abuse behind closed doors.

    She is invoked by women trapped in violent marriages, by believers pressured by family to abandon faith, and by anyone enduring prolonged emotional or physical harm.

    Patron Saint Of:

    • Survivors of domestic abuse
    • Faithful endurance inside marriage
    • Courage to refuse forced religious conversion
    • Women suffering betrayal by spouses
    • Emotional healing after prolonged trauma
    • Perseverance in silent suffering

    Her miracles rarely arrive as sudden rescue.

    They arrive as strength to survive another day.
    They arrive as courage to speak when silence feels safer.
    They arrive as peace returning slowly to wounded hearts.

    Many faithful testify to receiving clarity about leaving abusive situations, renewed spiritual strength during separation, and deep emotional healing after years of trauma through her intercession.

    Saint Shushanik does not romanticize suffering.

    She walks with it.

  • PRAYERS TO SAINT SHUSHANIK

    Traditional Invocation

    Holy Martyr Shushanik, faithful bride of Christ, pray for us.

    Strengthen the abused.
    Comfort the abandoned.
    Guard those who suffer in silence.

    Amen.

    Personal Devotional Prayer

    Saint Shushanik, gentle witness of hidden suffering, I come to you carrying pain that feels invisible.

    You know what it means to be hurt by someone who once promised love.
    You know what it feels like when home becomes unsafe.
    You know the loneliness of being faithful while others betray God.

    Stand beside me now.

    When fear rises, give me courage.
    When shame whispers, replace it with truth.
    When I feel trapped, remind me that Christ sees everything.

    You who endured violence without losing faith, help me heal.
    You who forgave even while suffering, teach me how to release bitterness.
    You who remained loyal to Christ when marriage collapsed, help me rebuild my life with God.

    Bless my body with safety.
    Bless my heart with peace.
    Bless my soul with dignity.

    Teach me that abuse is not my identity.
    Teach me that Christ is near the brokenhearted.
    Teach me that healing is possible.

    Saint Shushanik, pray for me.
    Pray for every abused woman.
    Pray for every soul suffering in silence.

    Amen.

  • FAQ

    What is Saint Shushanik known for?
    She is known as a fifth-century Armenian Christian martyr who endured years of domestic abuse and imprisonment for refusing to abandon Christ after her husband converted to Zoroastrianism.

    When is Saint Shushanik’s feast day?
    Her principal feast is celebrated on August 2 in the Armenian tradition, with related commemorations in Georgian Orthodox calendars.

    Which Christian traditions venerate this saint?
    She is venerated in the Armenian Apostolic Church and honored by Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians.

    Why do people pray to Saint Shushanik for domestic abuse and marital suffering?
    Because her holiness was forged inside prolonged marital violence and spiritual coercion, making her a powerful intercessor for survivors and those enduring betrayal within family life.