Catholicos of All Armenians Meets with Staff of the Mother See
13.01.2017
On January 13th, the Feast Day of the Naming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; received the administrative directors and employees of the departments of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The meeting was held in the Events Auditorium of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, following the Divine Liturgy offered in the Mother Cathedral. His Holiness was accompanied by His Grace Bishop Mushegh Babayan, Director of Operations of the Mother See.
The meeting was opened with remarks by Bishop Mushegh. Congratulating His Holiness and the secular staff of the Mother See on the joyous occasion of the start of the New Year, Bishop Mushegh conveyed to His Holiness the love and dedication of them all.
Ph.D. Doctor Arsen Bobokhyan, Chief Editor of the Etchmiadzin monthly magazine,
spoke on behalf of the staff of the Mother See, and conveyed congratulatory remarks to His Holiness.
“The year 2016 was rich with achievements, but unfortunately also losses. Despite numerous obstacles, our country which lives on the border of war and peace saw significant developments, and the Armenian Apostolic Church played a major role in this process, directly contributing to almost all events in the homeland and Diaspora.
In September 2016 we marked a quarter century of Armenian statehood. An ancient people, whose name is mentioned in cuneiforms alongside civilized nations long-ago extinct, is today portrayed as a 25-year-old young man instead of a feeble elder. Their spiritual guidance is entrusted to you, Your Holiness. You had the chance to guide our people during this historical period, when our millennial nation lagged in the conditions of the country’s severe social situation.
Reflecting on last year, we must mention the four-day April war, in which our people once again emerged with honor. In those difficult days, the Armenian Church and You, Your Holiness were next to the Armenian soldiers and our people.
…It is impossible to mention all the events which took place in 2016.
The abundance of events taking place in the life of Armenians, and the important role of the Armenian Apostolic Church in them, are evidence of the high degree of vitality of our Church”, stated Dr. Bobokhyan, adding his wish that through the blessings of His Holiness the year 2017 would be more successful, peaceful, harmonious and empty of spiritual and material worries.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Catholicos of All Armenians offered his congratulations on the occasion of the Feasts of New Year and Christmas, extending his Pontifical blessings and best wishes to the staff.
His Holiness expressed his appreciation to the employees of the Mother See for their devoted service, highlighting the importance of their efforts in successfully realizing the mission of the Armenian Church. His Holiness emphasized with satisfaction that each employee and structure, with principles, a sense of responsibility, commitment, and love, made all the achievements possible, and were a factor in the Church’s ability to offer effective service to the nation and Homeland.
The Catholicos of All Armenians urged them to continue their diligent service in 2017 with the same spirit and zeal, noting that the Church's mission and the success of planned initiatives in the church life are conditioned on it.
Stressing the importance of everyone’s service in overcoming the challenges facing the country, His Holiness stated: “I assure you that each job contributes enormously to our country's progress and peace, for the safe life and achievements of our people. Each personal contribution and service is key to the realization of aspirations, dreams and visions. If each of us fulfills our responsibility in our service we’ll have our desired country”.
At the conclusion His Holiness blessed the Mother See staff with the Lord’s Prayer, and wished them and their families a blessed and fruitful year.
