Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

“God-established Holy Etchmiadzin is the Gift of God to our People through His Only Begotten Son”: Catholicos of All Armenia

On June 14, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the feast day of Holy Etchmiadzin, which is the crown among the feasts of the “Araratian Week”.

On the occasion of the feast, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the St. Trdat Open Air Altar at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The celebrant was His Grace Bishop Vasken Mirzakhanyan, Direcotor of the Office on Ecclesiastical Liturgical Issues of the Mother See, who, in His sermon, reflected on the meaning of the establishment of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, as well as, its significance and mission in the lives of people.

The joy of the feast completed with another significant event. Considering that the dome of the Mother Cathedral has been completely renovated as a result of the regular stage of the restoration of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, the consecration ceremony of the new Cross of the dome of the Cathedral was held at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The old Cross of the Cathedral, which had been damaged throughout the time, will find its permanent place in the Museum of the Mother See.

In front of the Open Altar, according to the tradition, under the singing of hymns and psalms, the Cross was washed with wine and water, and after prayers and scripture readings from the Bible, the Catholicos of All Armenians consecrated the Cross with Holy Muron.

On the occasion of the feast, under the presidency of the Pontiff of All Armenians; a Special Blessing service for Holy Etchmiadzin was offered.

The clergy and the faithful raised their prayers to Almighty God for the prosperity and brightness of the Mother See of All Armenians - the Holy Etchmiadzin, as well as, the permanent implementation of its sacred mission in the lives of the Armenians all over the world.

Then, in front of the newly consecrated Cross, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; conveyed His massage to the attendees and all our people, on the joyous occasion of the feast of Holy Etchmiadzin and the consecration of the Cross of the dome of the Mother Cathedral.

Following the speech of the Armenian Pontiff; the consecrated Cross, decorated with flowers, was taken to the courtyard of the Mother Cathedral with a solemn procession, where, under the singing of hymns and best wishes of the attendees, the Cross was raised with a crane and installed on the dome of the Cathedral.

THE MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II

SUPREME PATRIARCH AND CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS ON

THE FEAST OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN

“We are grateful to You, Almighty Father,

for establishing Holy Church for us as a harbor,

the Holy Cathedral, where the Holy Trinity is glorified”

Dear Faithful,

Today is the commemoration day of the establishment of Holy Etchmiadzin. With this heartfelt joy, we have consecrated this new Cross with Holy Muron, which, with joint gratitude and glory to God, will soon be installed on the dome of the God-established Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Holy of Holies of All Armenians. “We are grateful to You, Almighty Father, for establishing Holy Church for us as a harbor, the Holy Cathedral, where the Holy Trinity is glorified”.
God-established Holy Etchmiadzin is the gift of God to our people through His only Begotten Son – as testimony of the infinite love of Heavenly God towards our people. Savior of the mankind decend to the Armenian world before the eyes of St. Gregory the Illuminator, and showed the place where the Mother Catherdral of All Armenians must be erected. God-gifted Armenian Cathedral was erected in front of the Biblical Mount Ararat through the efforts of St. Gregory the Illuminator, the Armenian King Trdat and the faithful. Throughout the centuries, the Holy Etchmiadzin has been and will always be the solid rock, on which the Armenian faith is anchored, through which the Armenian identity has been created and the Armenian statehood re-established. Indeed, Etchmiadzin has kept our people united through its national values and led them towards the new horizons of national independence. Christ-established, gold-anchored Holy Etchmiadzin is the harbor, where our faithful people have found peace from the hardships and turmoil over the centuries, have filled with hope, gained new energy and power of victory. This is where the spirit of victory of the battles of Avarayr, Sardarapat and Nagorno - Karabagh War was strengthened, as well as, this is where, many Armenian refugees got help surviving the Armenian Genocide, who were comforted and filled with lymph of new life. The Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is the seal of the Lord in the Armenian land, in the lives and souls of All Armenians, whose everlasting light shines from all our churches around the world. It is a precious pearl, which will always shine as a spiritual treasure in the faith of our pious people. “Be happy, Holy Church, as Christ – the Heavenly King, crowned you with His Cross”.

Dear ones, the Mother Cathedral, being renovated due to the heartfelt donations of our church-loving benefactors, and with the honest commitments of Our sons, today is brightening by the crown of the Holy Cross. We believe, that the power of Lord’s Holy Cross radiating from the height of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, will provide our people with strength and vigor to raise from the difficulties, to overcome the hardship of pandemic, and continue their creative life with new blessings and achievements.

The Cross is the sign of victory to withstand hardships and trials, the Cross is the pledge of the strengthening of our solidarity, the Cross is the presence of Christ in us and the Savior supports and protects the Armenian God-loving Nation with the Cross. Today, we are the bearers of that power, that victory, with the Cross-crowned Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, with our Holy Church. Let us not hesitate and weaken in expressing our love and devotion towards our priceless Sanctuary of Etchmiadzin, as our pious Holy Fathers testify; are blessed those who have good memory in Holy Etchmiadzin. Let us be united to strengthen our Homeland, to make our national dreams come true, to create our bright future.

On this occasion, once again we convey Our Pontifical love and high appreciation to all our praiseworthy benefactors, whose heartfelt donations are the evidence of their filial love towards our Holy Church and Holy Etchmiadzin.

The renovation of the Mother Cathedral is a spiritual joy and consolation for both the native Armenians and Our children in the Diaspora. With Pontifical Blessings, we highly appreciate the sacrifice and honest participation of all Our sons in the God-pleasing activities of the renovation and brightening of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Spiritual Center of All Armenians. We express our gratitude to the members of fundraising committee, the Architectural Council of the Mother See and the staff of the Architectural Department, “Horizon 95” Construction Company, all workers, constructors and specialists who continue to work diligently to open the doors of our Sanctuary to the faithful as soon as possible. We are sure, that the restoration works, which will take about a year and a half, will be completed successfully, and under the arches of our beautifully renovated and decorated Sacred Sanctuary, Divine Blessings and Graces will continue to be offered to Our faithful people and all the pilgrims. The Pan-Armenian renovation of the Mother Cathedral is one of the evidences of solidarity of Our faithful children towards our sanctities and values.

Dear faithful, on this festive day, let us ask the assistance of Almighty God once again, to overcome the pandemic crisis as soon as possible and, with love and solidarity, move forward to the prosperity of national-ecclesiastical life.

May God grant the world with peace, our Homeland with prosperity, and all our people with His heavenly blessings and support. In accordance with the call of the Hymn writer: “Let us build the Holy Altar of light”, with the efforts of the entire Nation, under the auspices of an independent state, may the Mother See always be prosperous, may the light of Holy Etchmiadzin shine forever, and the Christ-established Mother Cathedral may always be bright and steadfast for the happiness of the Armenian Nation and the glory of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.