St. Arethas and Companions are celebrated each year on October 24 in the local calendar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia.
While St. Arethas and his companions were martyred for their faith in the 6th century, their feast day on October 24 did not have any approved liturgical texts until recently.
On July 16, 2026, the Vatican Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments approved a new set of liturgical texts that can be used by the local church in Northern and Southern Arabia.
The letter read, "We hope that these proper texts will contribute to the further development of the liturgical life in both Vicariates, as well as to deepening devotion towards such an important group of martyr saints."
Christians are in the minority in the Middle East, even though they have been present since the earliest days of Christianity.
Who were St. Arethas and his companions?
The Roman Martyrology provides this entry on October 24:
At Nagran in Arabia, passion of the Saints Arethas, prince of the city, and three hundred and forty companions, martyrs in the time of Emperor Justin, under Dhu Nuwas king of Arabia.
It is believed that the king of Arabia at the time took it upon himself to hunt down and persecute Christians.
When the king came to Nagran, which was a Christian city at the time, he threw everyone into a trench that was set on fire.
St. Arethas said before his death, "As a vine pruned at the correct time gives a good yield of fruit, God will multiply the Christian population ... the church that has been burned down will be raised up."
St. Arethas and his companions are especially venerated by Christians living in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
