Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Celebrated in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
On Sunday, September 15, the Armenian Church celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and on the occasion of the last major feast day in the Church Calendar, Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians presided, as His Eminence Archbishop Pargev Martirosian, Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, celebrated the liturgy. Present were members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, guests and hundreds of faithful.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His Holiness conducted a solemn Repose of Souls service for the peaceful resting of the soul of Archbishop Gevork Seraydarian, former Primate of Georgia, who entered his eternal rest on September 11. The last rites and funeral service for Abp. Seraydarian were conducted in St. George Armenian Cathedral of Tbilisi on September 14, and he was buried in the adjacent Armenian cemetery.
Messages of condolence have been received in the Mother See from His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia; His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem; Diocesan Primates from within Armenia and throughout the diaspora; as well as President of Georgia Eduard Shevernadze and His Holiness Ilia II, Patriarch-Catholicos of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
As per tradition on this feast day, in the evening of September 15, the Holy Cross was processed around the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin and an ?Andastan? (Blessing of the Four Corners of the World) was conducted. The Holy Relic of the actual Cross of Christ which is protected and preserved in a large radiating cross, was decorated with sweet basil and flowers, and brought out of the Cathedral. The procession of clergy, led by His Grace Bishop Paren Avedikian of the Mother See, emerged from inside of the sanctuary and with the Holy Relic, conducted the service of blessing the east, west, south and north directions of the earth.
Following Evening Services, the flowers and sweet basil that decorated the Holy Sign, were distributed to the faithful.
