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.

Catholicos of All Armenians Receives Participants of the ARF "Hay Dat" Pan-Armenian Conference


On September 28, Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, received the participants of the ARF "Hay Dat" committees and offices pan-Armenian conference at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
The meeting addressed the challenges facing Armenia, issues regarding the protection of the rights of forcibly displaced Artsakh Armenians, the release of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan, and the preservation of Artsakh’s spiritual and cultural heritage, as well as the reprehensible campaign unleashed by the authorities against the Armenian Church.

Meeting of Canadian-Armenian Pilgrims with the Supreme Patriarch


On September 28, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received the participants of a pilgrimage organized by the "Hay Ard Tun" organization of the Armenian Diocese of Canada.
The Armenian Pontiff commended the Canadian-Armenian community's devotion to the Church and their spirit of dedication to the homeland; he emphasized the role of pilgrimages in strengthening faith and preserving national identity, and urged the pilgrims to show special care for the Armenian and Christian upbringing of the younger generation.

Pilgrimage and Divine Liturgy at St. Gevorg Church in Mughni


On September 26, marking the Feast of St. Gevorg the Warrior (Saint George), a pilgrimage set out from the St. Astvatsatsin Church in Karbi to the St. Gevorg Church in Mughni. Led by Fr. Shnorhk Paloyan, Chairman of the Administrative Council of the Aragatsotn Diocese, the procession included diocesan priests, nuns, members of youth unions, and the faithful.
At the St. Gevorg Church in Mughni—where the sacred relics of the Warrior-Saint are enshrined—Fr. Manuk Zeynalyan celebrated the Holy and Immortal Divine Liturgy. The next pilgrimage is scheduled for October 10, the Feast of the Holy Translators, to the St. Mesrop Mashtots Church in Oshakan.
 

Pilgrimage Day at St. Mariane Church in Ashtarak, Dedicated to the Female Saints


On September 22, a festive Divine Liturgy was celebrated at St. Mariane Church in Ashtarak, dedicated to the feast commemorating the female saints—Peprone, Mariane, and Shushanik—which also marks the church's pilgrimage day.
With the blessing of Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, Primate of the Aragatsotn Diocese, the Liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Anania Tsaturyan, Grand Sacristan of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, with the participation of clergy from the Aragatsotn Diocese, nuns from the Ghazaravan Convent, and numerous pilgrims.
 

The Armenian Pontiff Received Pilgrims from the Syriac Orthodox Church Arriving from the USA


On September 22, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received pilgrims from the Syriac Orthodox Church arriving from the USA, led by Father Joseph Shamoun, pastor of St. Mark’s Cathedral in New Jersey.
His Holiness reflected on the close and warm relations between the Armenian Apostolic and Syriac Orthodox Sister Churches and offered his blessing to the pilgrims, expressing confidence that the pilgrimage would serve as an occasion for spiritual renewal.
 

Anniversary of the Consecration of the Holy All-Savior Church Celebrated in Aragatsavan


On September 21, the anniversary of the consecration of the Holy All-Savior Church was celebrated in the village of Aragatsavan, part of the enlarged Talin community. To mark the occasion, priests from the Diocese of Aragatsotn brought a relic of the Lord’s Holy Cross from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to the church. The celebrant of the Divine Liturgy was Father Hayk Sahakyan; in his sermon, he noted that the day had become a triple celebration for the community, uniting the anniversary of the church's consecration, the 35th anniversary of Armenia's independence, and the joy of welcoming the relic of the Holy Cross into the church for the first time.

Newly Built Church in Byureghavan Consecrated by the Catholicos of All Armenians


On September 19, the newly built Holy Mother of God (Surb Astvatsatsin) Church in the city of Byureghavan (Kotayk Diocese) was consecrated by Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. The church was constructed through the benefaction of Russia-based brothers Mkhitar and Yuri Aroyan, based on a design by architect Edik Poghosyan.
Clergy of the Mother See, diocesan prelates of the Armenian Church, and numerous pilgrims participated in the consecration ceremony.
In his paternal message, the Catholicos of All Armenians emphasized that the Lord’s sanctuaries are built and consecrated through faith, and that the spiritual unity of the faithful is strengthened around them.

Feast of the Holy Cross at the Zoravor Surb Astvatsatsin Church in Apna


On September 13—the Feast of the Holy Cross—the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Zoravor Holy Mother of God Church in the village of Apna (Aragatsotn Diocese) by Rev. Fr. Maghakia Gevorgyan. The faithful venerated a relic of the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, brought from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The day also marked the anniversary of the church's consecration; the sanctuary had been consecrated five years earlier by the Diocesan Primate, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan.

 

Two-Day Concert Program Dedicated to Hrair Hovnanian’s 96th Birthday


On September 11 and 12, a two-day open-air concert program dedicated to Hrair Hovnanian’s 96th birthday was held in the courtyard of the Katoghike Holy Mother of God and Saint Anna churches, organized by the Hovnanian Family Foundation.
Pianist Hayk Melikyan and the Komitas Choir of the Komitas Conservatory performed on September 11, while the qanun players' ensemble of the "Hrach and Susan Toufayan" Center for Armenian Youth (Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin) and the "Nairyan" vocal ensemble performed on September 12.

 

Two-Day Concert Program in the Courtyard of Saint Anna Church


On September 11, the Hovnanian Family Foundation hosted a concert evening in the courtyard of the Katoghike Holy Mother of God and Saint Anna churches—located at the intersection of Abovyan and Sayat-Nova streets—to mark the 96th birth anniversary of the foundation's founder, the American-Armenian philanthropist Hrair Hovnanian. The event featured performances by pianist Hayk Melikyan and the "Komitas" Choir of the Komitas Conservatory.
The program continues on the evening of September 12 with performances by the "Hrach and Susan Tufayan" Qanun Quartet and the "Nairyan" Vocal Ensemble.