His Holiness Karekin II Blesses Children from Spitak
13.05.2003
On May 13, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, welcomed approximately 650 children from the village of Spitak to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. His Holiness greeted the young pilgrims on the steps of the Residence of the Catholicos (Veharan), whereupon he led them upstairs to the large Reception Hall. The village of Spitak is in Northern Armenia, and was devastated by the earthquake of 1988.
His Holiness addressed his fatherly message and gave his blessing to the young children, exhorting them to be good students, kind to their brothers and sisters, respectful to their parents and remain worthy sons and daughters of the Homeland and the Mother Church. The children gave a brief presentation of songs and poetry, followed by a question and answer session with His Holiness.
The pilgrimage of these young children to the Mother See was conceived and sponsored by the family of Slavik Hovakimian, of Spitak. The Hovakimian family has committed to underwrite and organize this annual pilgrimage for the children of their village.
The children went into the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin to say a prayer, and also had the opportunity to visit the museums on the grounds of the monastery, and were given escorted tours by the deacons of the Mother See.
Following their visit to Holy Etchmiadzin, the children went to the Armenian Church Youth Center in the Nork district of Yerevan, where they were treated to a concert program prepared by the children of the Center in their honor.
