The Feast of the Resurrection was celebrated in the Mother Cathedral for the first time after the reconsecration


The liturgy was presided over by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. The candlelight service in the Mother Cathedral was performed by Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, the Chancellor of the Mother See. The feast of the Holy Resurrection began with the candlelight service. With the blessings of the Catholicos of All Armenians, light was distributed to those present from a candle burning in the sanctuary in the Mother Cathedral.

The Church commemorated the Last Supper of Christ and the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist


On the morning of Holy Thursday, the Service for those who are fasting (Apashkharoghac) was held in the Mother Cathedral, followed by the Midday Service. The fasting faithful participated in the ceremony. On the morning of Holy Thursday, those who repent are granted absolution. Penitence is one of the seven sacraments of the Armenian Church. A penitent is a person who repents of a crime, offense, or mistake and is ready to atone for the sin. Those who sincerely repent and are granted absolution.

The monograph entitled "The Stone Chronicle of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin" has been published


It is dedicated to the reconsecration of the Mother Cathedral and summarizes the lithographic heritage of the Mother Cathedral. For the first time, the construction and renovation works of the Mother Cathedral over the centuries are presented in the form of a chronicle, that is, in chronological order. The author of the monograph is lithographer Arsen Harutyunyan. The Armenian lithographs of the Mother Cathedral were studied in detail during the last large-scale renovation, when different layers of the walls of the building were opened.

On the occasion of the 205th anniversary of Khrimyan Hayrik, members of the Vaspurakan NGO visited the Mother See


A requiem service was held at the tomb of Patriarch Mkrtich I in front of the Mother Cathedral. With prayer and incense, the Brotherhood of the Mother See and members of the Vaspurakan NGO commemorated the memory of the patriarch, who enjoyed great popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The participants of the event visited the Ruben Sevak and Khrimyan Hayrik museums of the Mother See.

The epigrapher has found out why the Tatev Monastery is also called the Monastery of St. Eustathius the Apostle


Epigrapher Arsen Harutyunyan, while studying the Tatev Monastery, noticed that in the works of church historians and in late periodical documents, the Tatev Monastery is also called the Monastery of St. Eustathius the Apostle. His study showed that until the 15th century, there was no mention in historical sources that the monastery was named after the Apostle Eustathius. The name of the Apostle Eustathius is also not attested in the stone inscriptions of the Tatev Monastery. Only from the 15th century, during the reign of the Tatevites, does the tradition associated with him circulate.

 

Catholicos of All Armenians receives participants of priest training courses


His Holiness conveyed his blessing to the priests, highly appreciating the zeal of the clergy in enriching their ritual and theological knowledge. His Holiness emphasized that continuous education is important for more effective service. His Holiness urged the priests to put their abilities and knowledge at the service of the Church, the welfare of the Armenian people, and the development of the homeland.

The Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Brazil asked the president to mediate the release of the captives


The Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Brazil, Bishop Narek Berberian, has sent an official letter to the President of the Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in which he reported on the unjust and inhuman treatment of Armenian prisoners of war in Baku and their violated rights. The Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Brazil has asked the President of the Republic and the Brazilian government to mediate for the release of the prisoners. During the Sunday liturgy at the St. George Cathedral, the Armenian community of São Paulo prayed for the Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku.

Archbishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan was appointed as Primate of the Armenian Diocese of the Baltic States


Prior to this, he was the director of the Office for Developing Social Teaching of the Mother See. His Eminence Vazgen was the staff bearer of Catholicos Vazgen I of All Armenians. For more than ten years, he lectured at the Gevorgyan Theological Seminary, during which time he also worked in Sunday schools affiliated with the Mother See and the Armenian Apostolic Church, and was the director of the Christian Education and Preaching Center.

The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorated the parable of the unjust steward


This Sunday of Great Lent is named after the unjust steward. The day gets its name from the Gospel parable of the same name. A wealthy man entrusted all his affairs to his steward. The wealthy man hears that the steward is wasting his property and dismisses him from his job. According to the parable, instead of being depressed, the man who lost his job relieves the rich man’s debtors before leaving. However, the rich man does not get angry, but on the contrary, praises him.
 

The Arakelots Monastery in Tavush has been declared one of the most endangered monuments of European heritage


The project on the 13th-century Arakelots Monastery and Settlement in Tavush has won the Europa Nostra 2025 competition and has been declared one of the 7 most endangered monuments of European heritage. The project was presented to Europa Nostra by Austrian Armenologist, Doctor of Armenian Studies at the Center for Christian Oriental Studies at the University of Salzburg, Jasmin Dum-Tragut.

Catholicos of All Armenians received clergy participating in training courses


The Catholicos of All Armenians received clergy from various dioceses of Armenia and the Diaspora who had arrived at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to participate in training courses. His Holiness conveyed his fatherly love and blessing to the spiritual fathers and reflected with satisfaction on the effectiveness of the training courses.

His Holiness was awarded the first class Order of "Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Alexy"


On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin was presented the Order of the First Class of “Metropolitan of Moscow St. Alexy”, awarded by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill I. The Patriarch of the Russian Church expressed his appreciation for the significant contribution of the Armenian Patriarch to the development of relations between the two Churches.