Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On April 24, Commemoration Day of the Armenian Genocide and the Holy Martyrs, the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin led by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; participated in the Divine Liturgy at St. Gayane Monastery. On this day, the relics of the holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide were taken out for the faithful.

The Celebrant was His Eminence Archbishop Vasken Mirzakhanyan, Director of the Ecclesiastical Conceptual Issues Office of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

In his sermon, Archbishop Vasken, referring to the historical events of the beginning of the 20th century and the Armenian Genocide, specifically mentioned: "God blessed our people and restored Armenian statehood in the eastern part of historical Armenia, our people were able to preserve this part of their historical lands and heal their wounds.

Why did the Armenian Genocide happen- we must think about it, so that we can avoid such situations in the future and not allow foreigners to subject us to genocide in our homeland... When we go to Tsitsernakaberd or Yerablur, let's think about what we should have done that we didn't do and what we have to do that we should do in anticipation of the future.

Let's never be afraid and continue to live in Christ, because he won and we will win too." 

At the conclusion, His Holiness Vasken told the faithful people to ask for the intercession of the holy martyrs of the Genocide, that our leaders be endowed with more wisdom, that the Armenian people be filled with love, solidarity, and be able to keep and preserve Armenia.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the procession of the clergy, carrying the reliquary of the holy martyrs, went to the courtyard of the Mother Cathedral, where in front of the cross-stone of prayer and vow, under the presiding authority of the Catholicos of All Armenians, the intercession order of the holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide was performed.