Master's thesis defense held at Gevorgyan Theological Seminary


The students of the Gevorgyan Theological Seminary defended their dissertations on the topics of “The Hymns of Saint Hovhannes Odznetsi”, “The Dioceses of the Armenian Church in Persia and Their Scientific, Educational and Cultural Life in the 18th-20th Centuries”, “Armenian-Latin Church Relations: A Ritual-Historical and Doctrinal Examination”, and “The Debt Payment Poem of Catholicos of All Armenians Simeon I of Yerevan as an Advocacy of the Creed of the Armenian Church”. The examining committee was chaired by Avetis Harutyunyan, candidate of historical sciences.

Temporary exhibition "Holy Hands" opens at Matenadaran


It is dedicated to the nunneries that were centers of writing established in Syunik, Nakhichevan and Artsakh in the 17th-18th centuries and the spiritual and cultural heritage created by the nuns there. Several dozen cultural layers created in the nunneries summarize the vastness of the monastery. The manuscripts are the only evidence created by the holy hands of the nuns, which present their lives, work, as well as the history and environment of the region. The eight manuscripts exhibited were written and flourished by the hands of the nuns: Margarit, Heghine, Katarine and Gayane.

The 31st Vahan Tekeyan International Awards Ceremony was held


This year, more than two dozen authors and creators submitted applications for the competition. In the Armenology category, the award was given to Austrian Birgit Kofler-Betschart for her remarkable work “I Killed a Man, but I Am Not a Murderer.” The jury was attracted by the work of a foreign author about “Nemesis” and the trial of Soghomon Tehlirian. The book tells about the special operations planned and carried out in advance against several persons responsible for the Armenian Genocide and the Baku massacres in 1919-22.

150 young artists participated in the "Ararat in Our Eyes" event


The spiritual and educational-cultural event titled "Ararat in Our Eyes" brought together about 150 young artists from the Mother See and the Armenian General Benevolent Union's Youth centers in the courtyard of the "Vache and Tamar Manukyan" Matenadaran. Later, a large exhibition of the young artists' paintings will open. Each work will be accompanied by a short essay by the author.

 

Catholicos of All Armenians receives Brazilian Armenian pilgrims


The Catholicos of All Armenians highly appreciated the work carried out by the diocesan primate and the spiritual ministers of the diocese in community life. He urged the pilgrims to remain steadfast in their faith, make every effort to strengthen the community, and bring useful service to the nation, homeland, and Church.

Representatives of US Christian churches hosted at the Mother See


At the Office of Inter-Church Relations of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Archbishop Garegin Hambardzumyan hosted representatives of the "Save Armenia" Christian organization, the Tufenkian Foundation, and Christian churches operating in the United States, which have been taking steps for years to preserve the spiritual heritage of Artsakh and protect the rights of Artsakh Armenians.

The Holy Relic of the Cross of the Lord has been moved to the St. Mariane Church in Ashtarak


On the second Tuesday following the Exaltation of the Cross, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the feast of the memory of Saints Peprone, Mariane, and Saint Shushanik, daughter of General Vardan. This is also the day of the dedication of the Holy Mariane Church in Ashtarak. For the second year in a row, on this day, under the Patriarchal direction of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, the sacred relic of the Cross of the Lord is brought to the Church of St. Mariane from the treasury of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

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.