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".

 

The two historical events caused great excitement


On September 28 and 29, two major events took place in Armenian spiritual and national life. The new muron of the Armenian Church was blessed and the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was re-consecrated and reopened. Both events caused great enthusiasm in Armenia and the Diaspora, and became major events connecting and uniting Armenian communities. On those days, thousands of pilgrims from different countries of the world met at the Mother See, prayed, united by the same spiritual vow.

The Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh has had meetings in European countries regarding Artsakh


The Munich-Germany initiative and AGBU Varna branch organized a meeting in Varna. Archbishop Vrtanes expressed his concern about the threats to the spiritual and historical-cultural heritage in Artsakh, and called to support around 120,000 forcibly displaced Artsakh Armenians. The Archbishop also visited Maastricht and was in Venice. An event titled "Save the Armenian Heritage in Artsakh" was held in the Mkhitaryan Congregation.
 

The Mother See and the Mashtots Matenadaran jointly presented exceptional exhibits


An exhibition "Beautiful things, immortalized images" was opened in Mashtots Matenadaran. "Treasures of Matenadaran and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin". Ritual items brought from the Mother See and photographs and glass negatives kept in the Matenadaran, but left out of scientific circulation, are presented. Among them are church utensils, a dove, a censer, a bowl and a flying cross. At the beginning of the 20th century, church vestments were also photographed in Holy Etchmiadzin.
 

The Catholicos of All Armenians presented a silver jug ​​to national philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan


At the Mother See, His Holiness received the national benefactor, godfather of Muron blessing, Samvel Karapetyan and presented him with a silver jar, made in the likeness of muron distribution jars. On one side of the jar, the Cathedral is depicted, one of the benefactors of whose renovation is Samvel Karapetyan, on the other side, the sanctities of Muron's blessing are depicted.
 

Pilgrims from all over the world came to the Mother See to participate in the historical events


Thousands of believers from all over the world came to Holy Etchmiadzin with families and pilgrim groups to participate in the historical events of the blessing of Muron and the re-consecration of the Mother Cathedral. With the reconsecration of the Mother Church, the dream of thousands of Armenians came true. The holy muron is the symbol of Armenian unity, which knows no borders, no geography, and no time.
 

Medals were prepared on the occasion of the historic event of reconsecration of the cathedral


The highest order of honor was prepared on the occasion of the historical event of the re-consecration of the temple, under the direction of the Armenian Patriarch. For the first time, the Catholicos of All Armenians awarded these medals to benefactors at the reconsecration ceremony of the Cathedral. It was their donations that made the complete renovation and beautification of the Cathedral possible. The ladies of Barrera were also awarded with another, again newly established "Daughter of Holy Etchmiadzin" order.

 

The Catholicos of All Armenians distributed the new muron to the dioceses of Armenia and Diaspora


Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II received the primates of the Armenian and Diaspora dioceses of the Armenian Church, representatives of hierarchical sees at the Holy Etchmiadzin. His Holiness personally handed over the red decorated jars. According to the order of seniority, the first to receive the jars full of holy muron were the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, the representatives of the Catholicos of Antilias and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, then the diocesan leaders. In dioceses, holy oil will be distributed to priests.
 

One of the most important ceremonies of the Armenian Apostolic Church took place, the blessing of Holy Muron


At the consecration ceremony, the clergy brought out the cross with the relic of the Tree of Life, the Holy Lance of Geghard, the right hand of St. Gregory the Illuminator, and the shrine of the martyrs of the Genocide. This year, the right hands of St. Ananias the apostle and Luke the Evangelist, the relic of St. Sahak Parthev were also brought out. After the blessing of the muron, the Catholicos of All Armenians addressed his fatherly message to his people who suffered the horrors and losses of the war and wished that the new myron would bring spiritual strength and the power of recovery.

 

Eventful week in one breath


The "Hay Art House" of the Armenian Diocese of Canada organized a pilgrimage to the Quebec shrine and the Mother of God Cathedral.
On September 21, the Armenian Congregation of Saints Hakobyans of Jerusalem made a republican prayer in the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God.
In September, a liturgy was celebrated in the Holy Cross Church on Aghtamar Island in Van

 

Many sacred relics of the Armenian Apostolic Church will be brought out at the ceremony of the blessing of the Holy Muron


Among the important relics participating in the sacred ceremony are the relics of the founding apostles of the Armenian Church Thaddeus and Bartholomew, which were donated to the Armenian Church by Pope John Paul II in 1994. The reliquary of the Holy Martyrs will be taken out. The sacred vessel was consecrated in 2015, on the eve of the consecration ceremony. Skevra's iconic shrine will also be released on September 28th. The three-door cabinet was made in one of the monasteries of Cilicia at the end of the 13th century.