A new exhibition hall on Medieval Armenia was opened in Mashtots Matenadaran


A new exhibition hall has been opened in Mashtots Matenadaran, where the skills, arts and crafts of medieval Armenia, thanks to which manuscripts of spiritual, scientific and church significance were born, are presented. The exhibition hall presents the medieval laboratory of how manuscripts were made, written and illustrated, the tools, utensils and dyes.
 

The private meeting of the Catholicos of All Armenians and the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople took place in the Pontifical Residence


The Brotherhood of the Mother See led the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople in a procession to the Mother Cathedral, where the "Hrashapar" ceremony was performed in front of the Holy Altar of the Descent. This ceremony was performed for the first time after the re-consecration and reopening of the temple. Later, a private meeting between the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople took place in the Pontifical Residence. In the coming days, Patriarch Sahak will participate in the meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council to be convened at the Mother See.
 

Eventful week in one breath


Archbishop Khajak Parsamyan blessed and anointed the khachkars of the yard of the St. Nicholas church.
An event dedicated to the 740th anniversary of Gladzor University was held in Yeghegnadzor Geology Museum.
The youth of the Armenian Western Diocese went to Japan to participate in the "Kakehashi" program.
 

Diaspora Armenians donated medieval manuscripts to Mashtots Matenadaran


New manuscripts have been added to the Mashtots Matenadaran exhibition "Gifted Names - The Homecoming of the Records". 4 old medieval Armenian manuscripts, an ancient book from the beginning of the 19th century, came to Matenadaran from Lebanon and the United States. One of the two manuscripts also has a parchment fragment-conservator, which is much older, dating to around the 10th century. One is an 18th-century psalter, the other a hymnal. The ancient book is Tomar printed at the beginning of the 19th century.
 

The Catholicos of All Armenians received the priests participating in the Clergy Training Course


His Holiness Karekin II urged the clergymen to support the overcoming of the challenges faced in the domestic and spiritual life with their service, pursuing also the preservation and strengthening of spiritual and national values ​​and the education of the nation's children with these values. His Holiness answered the questions of the clergy, which were related to the problems of the canonical, ritual and pastoral life of the Church.

The meeting of the International Commission of the Eastern Orthodox and Anglican Churches was held at the Mother See


The dialogue between the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox churches began about 25 years ago. The work of the Inter-Christian Commission began in 2002, and the first meeting was again in Holy Etchmiadzin, with the blessing of the Patriarch of All Armenians, Karekin II. In this era of ecumenism, i.e. inter-church connections, the heads of churches emphasize the steps towards unity.

Etchmiadzin is the meeting point with God


Primate of the Shirak Diocese Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan speaks on the spiritual sacrament of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral. He notices that Holy Etchmiadzin is a divine phenomenon and if we as Armenians are looking for God, we must meet Etchmiadzin. There are many magnificent temples in the world than the Mother Cathedral, but Ejmtchniadzin is as small as a heart, but at the same time it is as vital as a heart that supplies spiritual blood to its people around the world.

Saint Mary the Virgin Church was re-consecrated in Vahagn community of Lori region


The new church of the Vahagn community was built in 2017 with the benevolence of the Paremuzyan family. Until then, there was no functioning church in the community. The only humble shrine was destroyed after the 1988 earthquake and has not been restored. The newly built church has been renovated and beautified, the church now also has a baptismal font.
 

The ecumenical commission has completed its work at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin


The commission prepared the texts for the week of prayer of unity to be held in 2026. Each year the texts are prepared in a new country by the local spiritual community. This year, the World Council of Churches chose Armenia, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin prepared the preliminary version of the texts, which was completed during the ecumenical meetings. The Inter-Church Commission consists of representatives of the various structures of the Vatican and the World Council of Churches.
 

A water blessing ceremony was performed in the St. Yeghishe Church in London


The Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, blessed the water with the newly blessed muron, which was distributed to the diocesan primates and sent to dioceses and hierarchical sees in September at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin. According to the ecclesiastical tradition, upon arrival, the churches are blessed with new muron. At the end of the ceremony, water sanctified with muron was distributed to the people.
 

Prayers and texts for the Week of Unity of Prayer are being prepared at the Mother See


The works of the Inter-Church Commission have started in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin. The committee is preparing prayers and texts for the 2026 Unity Week of Prayer. The Week of Unity of Prayer is organized by the Vatican and the World Council of Churches, each year inviting one of the Christian churches to prepare texts and prayers for the week.

 

The 6th international conference on epic studies has started in Yerevan


Scientists from different countries participate in the international conference. Epics of different nations have been presented on one platform. During the conference, the books of Garegin Srvandztiantsi and the editions of the Sasna Tsrer epic were presented. In 1874, the folk-collecting clergyman discovered the Armenian epic. 15 years after "Grots and Brots", Manuk Abeghyan, a lecturer at Holy Etchmiadzin Gevorgian Seminary, published the folk epic novel "David and Mher".