The Catholicos of All Armenians Received a Delegation from the "Save Armenia" Organization


On October 16, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, received a delegation from the "Save Armenia" organization, led by its Executive Director, Dr. Paul Murray. His Holiness offered his blessings and expressed his appreciation to the organization for its efforts toward protecting the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh, securing the release of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan, and preserving the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh. In turn, Dr. Paul Murray assured that the organization would continue to support the Armenian people and the Armenian Church.

The 25th Anniversary of the Consecration of St. Yeghishe Church in London and the Feast of the Holy Translators


On October 11, marking the 25th anniversary of the consecration of St. Yeghishe Armenian Church in London and the Feast of the Holy Translators, His Grace Bishop Aren Shahenyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Argentina and Chile, celebrated the Divine Liturgy. He was invited by His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
During the Divine Liturgy, an encyclical (*kondak*) of blessing and commendation from His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, was read. King Charles III and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, sent congratulatory messages on the occasion of the jubilee.
 

Presentation of the Western Armenian Translation of the Novel "The Book of Mush"


On October 13, the presentation of the Western Armenian translation of the novel "The Book of Mush", by Italian-Armenian author Antonia Arslan, took place at the Zangak Bookstore. The event was initiated by the Tufenkian Foundation in collaboration with the organization "Save Armenia" and the Zangak Bookstore.
The book was translated from Italian by Vartan Matiossian and published by the Sis Publishing House, with the support of the Armenian Church. The novel recounts the story of Armenian women who survived the Genocide, as well as the rescue of the "Homilies of Mush"—the largest known Armenian manuscript.

 

Biblical Seminar Dedicated to Healing Psychological Trauma


The Bible Society of Armenia has organized a gathering of specialists in trauma healing, centered on the theme: "Healing the Past to Move Toward the Future... Trauma Persisting Through Generations."
Representatives from Bible Societies and churches across various countries, alongside clergy, psychologists, and social workers, have brought together spiritual and psychological insights to explore the path to healing in the light of the Holy Scriptures.
 

The Feast of the Holy Translators at the Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church in Oshakan


On October 10, the Feast of the Holy Translators was celebrated at the Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church in Oshakan, with the Divine Liturgy celebrated by Father Husik Smbatyan, a monk-priest and the Dean of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary. Led by Father Shnorhk Paloyan, a priest serving as the chair of the Administrative Council of the Aragatsotn Diocese—a pilgrimage took place from the Saint Hovhannes Church in Voskevaz to Oshakan. During the Divine Liturgy, the faithful welcomed the miraculous "Shukhonts" Gospel, which had been brought from the Matenadaran.
 

"Kanthegh" Award Ceremony in Oshakan on the Feast of the Holy Translators


On the occasion of the Feast of the Holy Translators, the annual "Kanthegh" (Lantern) award ceremony—organized jointly by the Writers' Union of Armenia and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin—took place at the schoolhouse adjacent to the Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church in Oshakan. The event was attended by writers and translators from Armenia and abroad.
With the blessing and support of the Mother See, the 2026 "Kanthegh" translation awards were presented to: Vardan Fereshetyan (for translations from Russian to Armenian), Hermine Navasardyan (for translations from German and English to Armenian), Garnik Melkonyan (for translations from French to Armenian), and André Schinkel (for translations from Armenian to German).
 

Remains of Tsar Samuel, Who Had Armenian Roots, Returned to Bulgaria


On October 3, the remains of Tsar Samuel returned to the country after more than a thousand years were transported from Thessaloniki to Sofia with special state honors in Bulgaria and placed in a marble sarcophagus within the Basilica of Saint Sophia. Scholars Nikoghayos Adonts and Yordan Ivanov have noted Tsar Samuel’s Armenian roots.
Bishop Tatev Hakobyan—Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Romania, Locum Tenens of the Armenian Diocese of Bulgaria, and Pontifical Legate for the Balkan countries—along with Gevorg Grigoryan, Director of the AGBU Varna office, attended this historic ceremony by official invitation.
 

The Assembly at the Mother See Expresses Strong Disagreement Regarding the Establishment of an Investigative Commission


On October 9, a meeting of bishops serving at the Mother See, as well as diocesan primates and locum tenens from Armenia, took place at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, presided over by Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.
The participants issued a statement expressing strong disagreement regarding the establishment of an investigative commission in the National Assembly to examine the "crisis" within the Church, and urged the parliamentary majority to act strictly within the scope of their constitutional powers.
 

His Holiness the Catholicos Receives Pilgrims from the Italian Community of Albairate


On October 8, Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, received pilgrims from the community of Albairate—located near Milan, Italy—at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, led by Father Francesco Carletti.
His Holiness emphasized that such visits strengthen and fortify the relations between the churches. In response to a question from Father Francesco regarding what has helped remain so steadfast in their faith, His Holiness replied: love for Christ.

The Catholicos of All Armenians Receives Pilgrims from the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church in the USA


On October 8, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, received pilgrims from St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Pasadena—a parish of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church in the USA. The group was led by the parish priest, Archpriest Fr. Sarkis Petoyan. His Holiness emphasized the importance of such visits to Armenia and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, noting that they offer Armenians from the Diaspora an opportunity to gain a closer understanding of life in the homeland, and to subsequently strengthen their own community life through a renewed faith and a spirit of patriotism.
 

7th Anniversary of the Re-consecration of St. Mercurius Church in Vardenut


On October 4, the 7th anniversary of the re-consecration of St. Mercurius Church in the Vardenut community (Aragatsotn Diocese) was celebrated. To mark the occasion, and with the blessing of the Diocesan Primate, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, the relic of St. Mercurius the General was brought to the sanctuary. The festive Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Maghakia Gevorgyan, the spiritual pastor of the Aragats region, who, in his sermon, emphasized the importance of unwavering faith and remaining loyal to the Mother Church.

Restoration and Conservation Workshop Opened at the Mother See Treasury


With the blessing of Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, a ceremonial opening of a restoration and conservation workshop for museum artifacts took place at the "Alec and Marie Manoogian" Treasury of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Equipped with necessary machinery through the support of the Japanese Government’s "Grassroots" Cultural Grant Program, the Embassy of Japan in Armenia, and the AGBU, the workshop will enable the expansion of museum collection displays and the preservation of spiritual and cultural heritage in pristine condition.