On February 12, the Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate the feast of Vardanants and the 1036 Martyrs


The feast of Vardanants and the 1036 Martyrs usually follows the feast of the Ghevondyan priests. The martyrs who shed their blood in the Battle of Avarayr in 451 for the sake of the Christian faith and homeland are known as Saint Vardanants. The Battle of Avarayr was perhaps the first military clash of the Christian world with the non-Christian world for the sake of faith. The Armenian Church has gratefully canonized the 1036 martyrs of Avarayr, led by the general Vardan. On the feast of commemoration of Vardanants, a Divine Liturgy will be served and a Patriarchal greeting will be delivered.
 

Armenian Apostolic Church to Celebrate the Presentation of the Lord on February 14


Forty days after the Nativity, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of Jesus to the Temple. The previous day, on the evening of February 13, a pre-holiday service will be held. At the end of the service, according to folk custom, a bonfire will be lit. By order of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord was declared a day of blessing for newlyweds many years ago.

On February 15, the Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate the Feast of the Great Barekendan, which will mark the start of Great Lent


Great Lent precedes the feast of the Holy Resurrection of Jesus Christ and lasts 48 days. During the liturgy on Barekendan itself, the curtains of the altars are closed and communion is not given throughout Lent, with the exception of a few feast days. On the first Wednesday of Great Lent, the church invites people to enter the fasting period with a special rite of penance. And on the last days of Lent, Maundy Thursday, the rite of absolution is performed, the curtain is opened and Holy Communion is given, because on that day Christ, sitting at the table with his apostles, established the mystery of Holy Communion.

 

The Armenian Apostolic Church will commemorate the day of remembrance of St. Sarkis, his son Martiros and 14 warriors


On January 31, a Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in all churches named after Saint Sargis. On the feast of Saint Sargis, a Divine Liturgy will also be celebrated in the Saint Sargis Monastery Complex in Ushi. On that day, the relic of Saint Sargis will be brought from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to the Ushi Church, which will be transferred to the Saint Sargis Church in Ashtarak at the end of the Liturgy. According to tradition, Mesrop Mashtots brought the relics of the Warrior Sargis from Persia and buried them here, on the hill of the village of Ushi.
 

The week-long Fast of Catechumens will begin on January 26


At the end of the Fast of Catechumens, on Saturday, January 31, the Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate the feast of St. Sargis the Great, his son Martiros, and 14 soldiers. The Fast of Catechumens was established by Gregory the Illuminator. After leaving Khor Virap, at his urging, King Trdat and the entire people repented by fasting for five days. The last, fifth day of the Lent is the commemoration day of the prophet St. Jonah.

 

Catholicos of All Armenians visited the Armenian Humanitarian Seminary of Calcutta


The first pontifical visit of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, to India was in 2008. In the years that followed, through the consistent efforts of His Holiness, the church administration was reorganized, which began the improvement of churches, church buildings, Armenian cemeteries, and their surrounding areas. Almost every year, the Catholicos of Armenia visits India and personally monitors the work of churches and church-related structures.

The feast of the Apostles St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew will be celebrated this year on November 29


The feast of the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew is a day of renewal for Christians. By the canonical Encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, since 2015, the day of the commemoration of the Apostles has been declared the day of the feast of the Holy Geghard, the First-Present-Father of God. On that day, the pan-Christian sacredness is taken out of the treasury of Holy Etchmiadzin and a festive liturgy is served, during which the faithful receive communion with the holy relic, receiving the blessing distributed by the miracle-worker Geghard. The holy icon remains in the church until the evening service.

The reliquary of the holy relics of Skevra will be brought out on the occasion of the anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness the Patriarch


On the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the consecration and enthronement of the Catholicos of All Armenians, on Sunday, November 2, in accordance with the accepted order, during the Holy and Immortal Liturgy, a Patriarchal blessing will be performed and the reliquary of the holy relics of Skevra will be brought out to touch this greatest pan-Christian sanctity and to commune with its blessing power.

 

For the first time in Rio de Janeiro, a diocesan leader celebrated mass


The Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Brazil, Bishop Narek Berberian, celebrated the liturgy in Rio de Janeiro for the first time in his 12 years of leadership. Although the Armenian community of Rio was formed in the 1980s, there is still no Armenian church in the city. With the support of the Union of the Armenian Community of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the holy and immortal liturgy was celebrated in the Antiochian Orthodox Church. At the end of the liturgy, a water blessing ceremony was also performed and blessed water was distributed.

The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated the feast of the Holy Cross of Varaga


This feast is unique to the Armenian Apostolic Church among Christian churches. The faithful prepare for the feast dedicated to the Lord's Sign with a week-long fast. The Lord's Sign is kept in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and is used during the blessing of the Holy Myron. Since 2003, by the high order of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, every year on the feast of the Holy Cross, Varaga is taken out of the sacred vault and brought to Varagavank. On that day, the prayers of hundreds of pilgrims are heard in the New Varagavank.

On September 14, the Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross


The Exaltation of the Cross, the feast of the raising of the cross, is dedicated to the historical events of the liberation of Christ from captivity by the cross. The feast is one of the four holidays dedicated to the saving cross of the Lord. It is celebrated on Sundays from September 11 to 17. The holiday is preceded by a fast. The day after the Exaltation of the Cross is the Day of All Souls, in all churches a requiem service will be held at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

 

On July 27, the Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration, Vardavar


The Feast of the Transfiguration is one of the five great feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is prepared for by fasting. The holiday is based on the gospel story of the transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor and his appearance to the disciples in divine glory. On July 27, a festive liturgy will be served in all churches, the next day is the commemoration day of the deceased, another liturgy will be served, and a requiem service will be held, during which the priest will commemorate the names of the deceased before the Lord.