Catholicos of All Armenians Received Pilgrims from the US
26.06.2017
On June 25, in the Vatche and Tamar Manookian Library of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; received pilgrims from the Eastern and Western Dioceses of North America. They were accompanied by Rev. Fr. Tatev Harutyunyan of St. Andrew Armenian Church in Cupertino, CA; and Rev. Fr. Hakob Gevorgyan of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia, PA.
The meeting was also attended by 29 youth participating the Yerevan Summer Internship Program of the AGBU.
At the beginning of the meeting, Father Tatev and Father Hakob conveyed to His Holiness the bright impressions of the youth during the pilgrimage to Armenia. In turn, the AGBU youth Chairman presented to His Holiness the participants of the summer program and the specifics of the program.
His Holiness conveyed his blessings to the Armenian pilgrims.
His Holiness highly praised the service of the spiritual pastors and their commitment in guiding the Armenians to their Homeland. His Holiness emphasized the importance of organizing such visits, noting that they give an opportunity to Armenians around the world to personally become familiar with the Homeland.
Welcoming the AGBU Summer Internship Program participants' visit to the spiritual center of all Armenians, the Armenian Pontiff reflected on the mission of the Armenian Church in the national life, highlighting the strong tie between the youth and the Church, especially their involvement in various ecclesiastical programs. The Catholicos of All Armenians informed the youth of the educational, social, and other services implemented in various sectors by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
At the conclusion His Holiness expressed his wish for them to all spend pleasant days in the Homeland, empowered with their self-esteem and warm feelings of patriotism, and to have a safe return to their homes.
Following the meeting, the pilgrims attended the Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral and visited the Mother See museums.
