Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On February 22, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the Feast of St. Ghevond the Priest and His Companions. On the occasion of the feast, under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; a Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Holy Mother of God Church of the Diocese of Armavir (Etchmiadzin City).

The Divine Liturgy was attended by 233 clergymen from different Dioceses of Armenia and Artsakh, Diocesan Primates, the Brotherhood of the Mother See, and many Armenian faithful. The Celebrant was Rev. Fr. Nerses Ashughbabyan, spiritual pastor of the Holy Mother of God Church in the Diocese of Vayots Dzor.

In his sermon, Rev. Fr. Nerses reflected on the sacrament of the day, and emphasizing the heroism of St. Ghevond the Priest and His Companions, stated in part: “Today, our eyes are again on our brave ancestors, who had the Gospel words engraved in their minds, that say; “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32); and these words were merged with the great and firm faith in their hearts.

Today, we are fighting the same struggle for our statehood and faith as our fathers. And only two years ago, our youth showed that they are the worthy descendants of St. Vardan the Warrior and His Companions; and next to them, following the example of St. Ghevond the Priest, stood our chaplains and Armenian clergymen, who protected us all with a weapon in one hand and a cross in the other”.

Following the Divine Liturgy, at the Events Auditorium of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, a Meeting of the Priests and Award Ceremony was held. His Eminence Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian; Primate of the Diocese of Shirak and Head of the Organizing Committee of the Priests' Meeting; delivered his welcoming remarks.  

Then, the traditional Award Ceremony was held. In appreciation of their long-term devoted and productive pastoral service to the Armenian Church, a number of clergymen were awarded the honor of Archpriest, as well as the right to wear the flowered cope and Pectoral Cross.

Rev. Fr. Varuzhan Terteryan from the Diocese of Shirak, and Rev. Fr. Vahan Azaryan from the Diocese of Gougark, were elevated to the rank of Archpriest, for their long-term and dedicated pastoral service to the Armenian Church.

Rev. Fr. Hovel Ohanyan and Rev. Fr. Sipan Grigoryan, serving in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin; Rev. Fr. Manuk Zeynalyan, RA Army Chaplaincy; Rev. Fr. Soghomon Minasyan, Diocese of Artik; Rev. Fr. Shahan Mirzoyan and Rev. Fr. Zhirayr Khachatryan, Diocese of Kotayk, were granted the right to wear the flowered cope.

Rev. Fr. Sahak Sahakyan; Rev. Fr. Hayasa Gharagyozyan and Rev. Fr. Armen Kirakosyan serving in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzn; Rev. Fr. Ararat Shahverdyan and Rev. Fr. Masis Arakelyan from the Diocese of Gougark; Rev. Fr. Mkhitar Haroyan from the Diocese of Artsakh; Rev. Fr. Tiran Nahapetyan from the Diocese of Masyatsotn; Rev. Fr. Khachatur Hayrapetyan from the Diocese of Syunik; were granted the right to wear the Pectoral Cross.

At the end of the Award Ceremony, the Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed His Blessings and Pontifical message to the clergy. 

Reflecting on the sacrament of the feast of St. Ghevond the Priest and His Companions, His Holiness stated in part: “St. Ghevond the Priest became the bearer of the struggle for the faith and the homeland, a circumstance, which conveyed a message and mission to his character throughout the centuries. Many generations have been educated by the example of St. Ghevond the Priest and His Companions, who have passed on to us the exemplary image of the courage of faith, the zeal for the homeland and the Church, praising for the preservation of a national and spiritual identity, and for the true Christian self-sacrifice for eternity.

Today, the imperative of the national self-defense initiated by St. Ghevond the Priest has not disappeared. Times have changed, but the challenges remain the same. Our people are facing the same challenges; there is a front, where they are fighting for the survival of our traditional sacred values, the preservation of our identity, our future. The Church has a great mission, moreover, it has a responsibility to protect and strengthen those values”.

The Pontiff of All Armenians noted with gratitude, that even today, there are Ghevond the Priests in the Clergy, who show the same spirit, commitment and consciousness in their daily spiritual service to the Armenian people, in the conditions of serious challenges in the national-patriotic life.

“As a Church, we cannot remain indifferent to the various phenomena that take place in the life of our people these days, because our sacred mission is not only to take part in overcoming the current problems, but also to bear the hard work, to bear the pain, to comfort the sorrows, to disperse the despair and sorrow that covers the souls of our people. The war that has befallen us, which caused great losses to our homeland and people, is not over yet. It continues not on the battlefield, but in various spheres. Anti-Armenian and hostile propaganda does not stop on the other side of the border; the challenges caused by the war have not been overcome; our sacred heritage in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan is endangered; tensions, emigration continue in the domestic political life; the uncertainty towards the future is deepening among the people”, stated the Armenian Patriarch, emphasizing that in such a complicated situation, the pastoral service to the people of Artsakh in need, the displaced, the families of victims, missing, captives and wounded, should continue to be a priority.

His Holiness emphasized the importance of the Christian upbringing and education programs in the spiritual service, to strengthen the faith in God and the love for the homeland and our sacred values, in the souls of the Armenian sons. In this regard, His Holiness instructed that Sunday schools should be established in all parishes as much as possible; special attention should be paid to the youth, to their active involvement in the ecclesiastical-parish life, as well as in the social and educational activities carried out within the parishes and dioceses.

In the conclusion, the Pontiff of All Armenians prayed to God for the peace and security of our homeland Armenia and Artsakh, for the prosperous life of the children of the Armenian people all over the world, and for the brightness of the Armenian Church.