His Holiness Karekin II Consecrates Church of St. Astvatsatsin
10.12.2004
On December 9, the newly constructed church of St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) was consecrated in the village of Arevashogh, Diocese of Gougark. His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, offered the service of consecration and presided during the ceremonies. Assisting His Holiness were His Eminence Archbishop Grigoris Buniatian, primate of the Armenian Diocese of the Ukraine; His Eminence Archbishop Barkev Martirosian, primate of the Diocese of Artsakh (Republic of Nagorno Karabagh); and His Grace Bishop Navasard Ktchoyan, Vicar of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese.
The foundation of the church had been laid and blessed in August 2003 and was built through the patronage of Mr. Samvel Adamian from Donetsk, Ukraine.
His Holiness' entourage was greeted at the border of the Lori region, near the city limits of Spitak, by the primate of the Diocese of Gougark, His Grace Bishop Sepouh Chouljian; the governor of the Lori Region, Henrik Kochinian; and a delegation of regional and municipal authorities. The Pontifical delegation was escorted to the village of Arevashogh, where His Holiness was welcomed by hundreds of faithful who offered bread and salt to be blessed.
Inside the newly built church, the primate of the diocese, Bishop Sepouh greeted His Holiness Karekin II stating, "The Pontiff of All Armenians is with us today, who has come from Holy Etchmiadzin to bring consolation to his sons and daughters, and to bless and consecrate this sanctuary of worship and house of prayer. By consecrating this church, the Catholicos will be blessing all of us, and from this time forth, this sanctuary will become a fortress of Armenian faith."
With the singing of spiritually uplifting hymns and the recitation of psalms, His Holiness consecrated the holy altar of the church with Holy Muron (Chrism). The four bishops present assisted His Holiness during the service, and consecrated the baptismal font and sixteen columns of the church.
At the end of the service, the Catholicos of All Armenians addressed his message of blessing to the faithful of Arevashogh:
"Today a new blessing is descending from heaven upon the village of Arevashogh, because together with you, in prayer and worship, we consecrated this new church in the name of the Holy Mother of God. From this day on, the doors of this church will be open before all of you, so you can come and stand before the holy altar, to offer your prayers to heaven in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to submit your request to God. With this church, your lives will progress according to the commandments and love of the Gospel, and goodness will flow from above into your lives.
" . . . For more than seventeen centuries, 'the Church of the Armenians' has been the birthplace of every Armenian soul, where the faith of each Armenian has been fortified, his courageous will and spirit has been molded, and he has been able to withstand manifold tribulations that have befallen our people throughout history. Today, the temptations are no less for our nation: economic and social difficulties, the undesirable moral condition in our country, and numerous attacks in the spiritual field seeking to damage and shake our ancient faith. However, we are confident and have always believed, that each church which opens her doors before the faithful becomes a new fortress of our spiritual life, an impregnable citadel of our steadfast faith, intended to keep and protect our Armenian people, complete and serene, unified and in one accord."
His Holiness also extended words of commendation to the primate of the Diocese of Gougark for his dedicated and devoted service, as well as to the regional authorities who assist Bishop Sepouh in the accomplishment of his mission.
In appreciation of the church-building activities of the benefactor, Samvel Adamian, His Holiness bestowed upon him the highest medal of the Armenian Church - the Order of Saint Gregory the Illuminator. His Holiness presented the new church with a gift of a chalice to be used for Holy Communion. The Catholicos concluded his message to the faithful stating, "If daily prayers are not offered under her arches, this church will remain only a building built of stone . . . ", and urged the villagers to keep their faith steadfast and their loyalty to the spirit and inheritance of their forebears unshaken.
