Father Philip Caraman, born in London 1911, was the son of an Izmir-born Armenian merchant and banker who had fled Ottoman Turkey during the Hamidian Massacres. Caraman, hailing from a devoutly Catholic family, became a Jesuit. His two sisters became nuns. He was appointed editor of “This Month” Jesuit magazine which was about to fold. Father Caraman revived the magazine and attracted famous writers such as Graham Greene, Muriel Spark, Evelyn Waugh and Edit Sitwell to write for the publication. He also directed the conversion of Alec Guinness to the Roman Catholic Church and remained the actor’s spiritual guide the rest of his life. One of Caraman’s books—“The Lost Empire” was made into a movie (“The Mission”) with Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons. Caraman, who died in 1998, spoke seven languages, in addition to Armenian.

Father Philip Caraman, born in London 1911, was the son of an Izmir-born Armenian merchant and banker who had fled Ottoman Turkey during the Hamidian Massacres. Caraman, hailing from a devoutly Catholic family, became a Jesuit. His two sisters became nuns. He was appointed editor of “This Month” Jesuit magazine which was about to fold. Father Caraman revived the magazine and attracted famous writers such as Graham Greene, Muriel Spark, Evelyn Waugh and Edit Sitwell to write for the publication. He also directed the conversion of Alec Guinness to the Roman Catholic Church and remained the actor’s spiritual guide the rest of his life. One of Caraman’s books—“The Lost Empire” was made into a movie (“The Mission”) with Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons. Caraman, who died in 1998, spoke seven languages, in addition to Armenian.