Ephrem the Syrian
306 — 373 · Feast day: June 9
Ephrem the Syrian set Christian doctrine to music, weaving Nicene theology into hymns sung by choirs of women across Edessa, earning him the title 'Harp of the Spirit.' When Nisibis fell to Persia in 363, he joined the Christian exodus to Edessa and spent his final decade writing, teaching, and serving plague victims. Pope Benedict XV declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1920 — the only Syriac Father to receive the honor.