The last Divine Liturgy of the year was celebrated at the Mother See


The last liturgy of 2025 was celebrated in the Mother See on Sunday under the presiding authority of the Catholicos of All Armenians. Accompanied by a church procession, the Patriarch, conveying a blessing to the faithful, entered the Mother Cathedral. During the singing of “Lord, have mercy” during the Divine Liturgy, the clergy and faithful prayed privately for the freedom of the imprisoned clergy, the national benefactor and all captives, for the clergy, the steadfastness of the church, as well as for the peaceful and prosperous life of the homeland.

In spring, the circus school of the Nork Youth Center is preparing to perform on the stage of the Tashir Arena.


The Gagik Ginosyan Circus School has been active this year, the opening ceremony of the Tashir Arena, where they performed a separate performance, is memorable for the students. The Nork Youth Center Circus School has been adopted as a circus base. In addition, the students of the Youth Center's singing, dancing, sports, and decorative applied arts classes have returned with awards from concerts, competitions, and festivals.

 

His Holiness the Patriarch received the newly ordained priests who completed the forty-day preparation period


The newly ordained clergy, who received priestly ordination and consecration in the Mother Cathedral and underwent a forty-day period of abstinence, celebrated their first Liturgy in various Armenian churches on Sunday. At the end of the day, they were received by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, in the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Priests of the Aragatsotn Diocese performed a joint liturgy in the Mastara Church


The clergy and the faithful prayed for the vigilance of the Armenian Patriarch, the steadfastness of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, the imprisoned Archbishops Mkrtich, Bagrat, Michael, and Arshak, Priest Garegin, and those unjustly imprisoned and in captivity.

On the occasion of the feast of Saint Hakob Mtsbna, his right-shaped relic was moved to Gyumri


The Armenian Church celebrated the commemoration day of Saint Hakob Mtsbna, the hermit Maruge, and Bishop Melitos. The faithful went from the yard of the Yotverk Church in Gyumri to Saint Hakob Church, where they prayed for the imprisoned Bishops Michael, Bagrat, Mkrtich, and Arshak, for the benefactor Samvel Karapetyan, for the defense of the homeland and the Church, for the Armenians held in prisons in Armenia and Baku.

Archbishop Bagrat called on citizens to go to Echmiadzin from the courtroom


At the court hearing on the Holy Struggle case, Archbishop Bagrat urged the faithful and his supporters to go to Holy Etchmiadzin, participate in the defense of the church, and express support and solidarity to the Mother See. He noted that this entire process is connected to the existence and history of the Armenian people.

 

The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated the commemoration day of Saint Abgar the Patriarch


On the occasion of the holiday, the clergy of the Aragatsotn and Artik dioceses and the faithful of the community visited the Yotverq Church in Gyumri. The celebrant was Father Hovhannes Torgomyan, a monk of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and spiritual director of the Izmirlian Medical Center. The faithful and the clergy prayed for the imprisoned Bishops Michael, Bagrat, Mkrtich, Arshak, benefactor Samvel Karapetyan, and all those illegally imprisoned.

 

The Director of the Research Center for the Restoration of Frescoes participated in an international workshop


Ashkhen Papoyan discussed the issues of dismantling and reinstalling frescoes in Catalonia. It was thanks to him and his team that the frescoes of the Mother Cathedral were restored years ago. In another workshop, they discussed the conservation of frescoes and needs assessment.

"Luminous Images: The Miniature Revelation of Angels" Exhibition Opens


Handwritten manuscripts, archival documents, ancient books, ribbon-shaped charms and unique manuscript compositions are presented. The ideological and iconographic axis of the exhibits is the image of angels. About 25 exclusive manuscripts have been selected for the exhibition. Both the manuscripts and other exhibits are mainly displayed for the first time.

 

Students of the Ashtarak Youth Center gave a speech on the occasion of the New Year


This year, a student of the Ashtarak Youth Center duduk group won first place in a remote competition in Spain. The students of the dhol group won 1st place in the Republican competition. There are 270 children studying in 14 different classes at the Youth Center. On the occasion of the New Year, His Holiness the Patriarch sent holiday gifts to all the students.

The feast of Saint Stephen the Forerunner was celebrated in the Azatan community


With the blessing of the Primate of the Diocese of Shirak, Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, and the Spiritual Superintendent of the Diocese, Bishop Narek Avagyan, the feast of St. Stepanos the Forerunner was celebrated in the Azatan community. The residents of the community walked with their flocks to the St. Stepanos Church, where the Holy Liturgy of the Covenant was celebrated. During the liturgies and hours in the churches of the Diocese of Shirak, prayers are always said for the clergy in prison, and especially for the Primate of the Diocese, Archbishop Mikayel.

With the assistance of the Catholicos of All Armenians, a disabled soldier will receive a prosthetic leg in India


Artashes Amiryan's legs were frostbitten during the Artsakh war at the Omar positions. Later, doctors were forced to amputate his leg. After a chance meeting with the Catholicos of All Armenians in the Mother Cathedral, His Holiness offered him to travel to India with his assistance for prosthetics. Since 2020, dozens of soldiers injured as a result of the Artsakh war have been treated and prosthetically fitted in the best medical institutions abroad, restoring their quality of life, with the direct assistance of the Patriarch of All Armenians.