Sebastian Teachers' Choir


The "Sebastatians" teacher's choir has been operating since 2012. The founder of the Yerevan State Chamber Choir, Honored Artist Harutyun Topikyan, was the conductor at the foundation of its formation. It is a four-part, open choir, composed of educators from the educational complex. The choir performs Komitas' spiritual and secular songs, medieval hymns, works by modern Armenian composers, and disseminates them through educational, cultural, and patriotic campaigns-concerts, educational liturgies, and organizing and participating in national rituals-festivals.

Members of the Council of Nicaea participated in the Divine Liturgy at the Mother Cathedral


The Holy and Immortal Liturgy was celebrated under the presiding authority of His Holiness the Catholicos of All Armenians, and was attended by participants of the inter-church conference convened in Etchmiadzin on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. The Nicene Creed, which contains the basic tenets of the Orthodox faith, is an integral part of the Holy Liturgy, according to which the Son is in harmony with the Father.

 

The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated the feast of the Birth of the Mother of God


A festive liturgy was celebrated at the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin on the occasion of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most important links in the chain of salvation of humanity. Pilgrims and believers who arrived at the Mother Cathedral participated in the sacred ceremony, the rite of confession, and received communion.

The Church of the Holy Mother of God is being built in Nerkin Bazmaberd


The construction of the Central Dome Church of the Holy Mother of God began in the 1990s. The foundations of the church were consecrated by His Holiness Karekin I. Until the beginning of the 2000s, the construction of the church continued intermittently, during which time the residents of the fortress, Henzel Yeghiazaryan, Frik and Isabel Khachatryan, took care of it. Now the church is taking on its final form under the patronage of Istanbul-Armenian businessman and philanthropist Yeprem Bagheshyan.

 

On Artsakh's Independence Day, the "Call of Artsakh" memorial was consecrated and opened in Yerablur


The memorial was consecrated by Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, Primate of the Artsakh Diocese. It is dedicated to the memory of those who died in the Artsakh wars. In the center of the memorial complex is the main 7-meter-high white marble monument, adjacent to which are two khachkars. The red tuff khachkar is dedicated to the memory of those who died in the explosion of a fuel depot in Stepanakert on September 25, 2023, the white marble khachkar perpetuates the memory of all the martyrs and missing persons resting in Artsakh.

 

The cross bearing the relics of the Apostle Thomas has been moved from the Mother See to the Holy Mother of God Church in Hrazdan


The memory of the apostles Thomas, James, and Simon was celebrated at the Holy Mother of God Church in the Vanatur district of Hrazdan. The faithful participated in the Cross procession, which started from both sides of the city. With the blessing of the Catholicos of All Armenians, the cross bearing the relics of the apostle Thomas was brought to Hrazdan from the vault of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The court extended the detention of the participants of the sacred movement for another three months


The court granted the motions of the public prosecutors and extended the detention terms of Tigran Galstyan, Artur Sargsyan, Tigran Topalyan, Movses Sharbatyan, Igor Sargsyan, David Galstain, Mihran Makhsudyan, Hayk Shahnazaryan, Armen Aleksanyan and Karo Okumushyan for another three months. The defense lawyers qualified the motions of the public prosecutors as unfounded. The next court hearing in the case of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and the participants of the Sacred Movement will be held on August 25.

The court extended the detention of Archbishop Bagrat and the deputies participating in the movement for 3 months


The defense lawyers of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and the 17 supporters of the Holy Movement watched the court hearing from the court yard, expressing their protest against the judiciary and the presiding judge Karen Farkhoyan. The defense team reached this decision after yesterday's court hearing, when the issue of the preventive measure for Lydia Mantashyan was being examined. Yesterday, the court extended Mantashyan's detention for 3 months. Today, it has already extended the detention of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Arsen Ghazaryan, "Armenia" faction MP Artur Sargsyan and Arman Israelyan for another three months. The court has imposed house arrest on Ara Rostomyan.

A blessing ceremony was held at the Izmirlian Medical Center, operating under the auspices of the Mother See


Father Hovhannes Torgomyan performed a grape blessing ceremony for the staff, patients, and caregivers. He visits patients every day, performs a prayer service in the intensive care unit, and blesses patients before surgeries. After the ceremony, the grapes were distributed to those present so that the blessed fruit would enter each person’s home, bringing success and abundance to the families.

A liturgy was served at the Church of the Holy Mother of God on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary


The sacred ceremony was accompanied by Bible readings, admonitions, sermons, and prayers. After receiving communion, the faithful participated in the Blessing of the Grapes. This ceremony blesses the harvest and goodness of the entire year.

On August 17, the Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God, the Blessing of the Grapes


The feast is dedicated to the memory of the end of the earthly life of the Holy Virgin Mary and her ascension to heaven. The liturgy of the feast is followed by the blessing of grapes, and believers share the blessed harvest with each other, reliving the joy of the feast.

 

The relic of the cross of Jesus Christ was moved to the St. Nshan Church in Berkarat and a liturgy was celebrated


The village of Berkarat in the Aragatsotn diocese celebrated the 14th anniversary of the consecration of the St. Nshan Church. The church was demolished during the Soviet years. St. Nshan was built in the native village by the Amirkhanyan family. The relic of the Lord's Cross remained in the church until noon.