The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated the Exaltation of the Cross


Amid the solemn ringing of the cathedral bells, the procession of Brotherhood and the faithful accompanied the Patriarch of All Armenians to the Mother Cathedral to celebrate the Holy and Immortal Liturgy of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On the occasion of the feast, numerous believers gathered in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

 

Members of the Council of Nicaea participated in the Divine Liturgy at the Mother Cathedral


The Holy and Immortal Liturgy was celebrated under the presiding authority of His Holiness the Catholicos of All Armenians, and was attended by participants of the inter-church conference convened in Etchmiadzin on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. The Nicene Creed, which contains the basic tenets of the Orthodox faith, is an integral part of the Holy Liturgy, according to which the Son is in harmony with the Father.

 

A service of blessing of educators was held at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin


Representatives of educational institutions, principals of secondary schools and a large number of educators visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Every year on this day, educators participate in the Divine Liturgy in the Mother See, presided over by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and receive the spiritual blessing of the Armenian Patriarch.

 

The clergy organized a large pilgrimage to the Nor Varagavank Monastery


The clergy of the Diocese of Tavush, led by the Chairman of the Diocese Administrative Council, Archimandrite Samvel Mkhitaryan, and the confrere of the Mother See, Rev. Daniel Bishop Fndkyan, organized a great pilgrimage to Nor Varagavank. The great pilgrimage, dedicated to the feast of the 200 bishops and patriarchs of the Holy Synod of Ephesus, gathered about 1,500 believers in the church of St. Nerses the Merciful from early morning. From there, with psalm singing and prayer, the pilgrims walked to Getahovit, then headed to Nor Varagavank.

The "Tsitsernak" camp of the Gugark Diocese hosted hundreds of schoolchildren during the summer


The camp's reputation is growing year by year, as a result of which more and more teenagers want to relax at the Tsitsernak camp. According to the organizers, "Tsitsernak" is a classic camp, seasoned with national and spiritual elements. This year, even Armenian schoolchildren from abroad have relaxed at the camp.

 

St. Sargis Church in Vanadzor has been reconsecrated


The Primate of the Gugark Diocese, Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, has reconsecrated the St. Sargis Church in Vanadzor. It was renovated and furnished with the generosity of the church's cross-bearer, Vardan Sardaryan.

 

His Holiness the Patriarch hosted pilgrims from the Church of the Holy Archangels in the Boston area


The Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed his blessing to the pilgrims and expressed his appreciation to the Spiritual Pastor for his effective ministry. The Catholicos of All Armenians emphasized the importance of organizing such pilgrimages from Armenian dioceses around the world, especially in these difficult days for the homeland. His Holiness touched upon the challenges facing Armenia, expressing confidence that the Armenian people, thanks to their unity and strong faith, will be able to overcome the current difficulties and trials.

 

His Holiness blessed the participants of the Armenian General Physical Education Union's sports games


About 700 scouts and members of the Central Board of the 12th Armenian General Physical Education Union visited the Mother See. On this occasion, a blessing ceremony for the participants of the games was held in the Mother See under the presiding authority of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.

AGBU Scout Camp Participants Visit the Mother See


The participants of this year's summer gathering of the AGBU Armenian Youth Association's Andranik Scout Camp at the Matenadaran of the Mother See were hosted by Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of the Department of External Relations and Protocol of the Mother See. The Archbishop conveyed to them the paternal blessing and best wishes of His Holiness.

Catholicos of All Armenians received the participants of the 12th ARF Youth Camp


His Holiness, during a meeting with the participants of the 12th Pan-Armenian Youth and Student Congress of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, touched upon the occupation of Artsakh, the protection of the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh deprived of their homeland, and the return of Armenian prisoners still held in Azerbaijan. The Catholicos of All Armenians spoke about the problems of preserving the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh and the difficult situation prevailing in the country. He considered national unity, love for the homeland, and loyalty to national values to be important, which are the only means by which it will be possible to overcome the challenges.

 

Members of the Brotherhood Assembly participated in a service at the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator


The start of the Assembly was announced on June 17. Before that, the participants jointly participated in the evening service at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Mother Church in Yerevan. Later, the clergy visited the Yerablur Military Pantheon to pay tribute to the memory of the brave soldiers who gave their lives for the homeland and to pray for the repose and peace of their souls.

 

A military quiz on Bible knowledge was held at the "Young Defender of the Land" club


At the initiative of the Bible Society of Armenia and the Spiritual Leadership of the Armed Forces, a joint program “The Bible Transforms a Soldier’s Life” was held under the “All-Army Bible Knowledge Contest.” For the first time, the Young Yerkrapah Club of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union submitted an application to participate in the annual quiz. The teams from Kotayk, Aragatsotn, and Armavir, which took the first three places, were awarded with Bibles, Bible dictionaries, and “Shushan Varden” books.