Palm Sunday Celebrated in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
His Holiness Karekin II Declares Palm Sunday to be ?Blessing of the Children Day?
On Palm Sunday, March 24, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, presided over a solemn Divine Liturgy celebrated in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. The celebrant was His Eminence Archbishop Datev Sarkissian. The Mother See was filled with faithful bringing willow branches to be blessed and return home.
His Holiness has initiated a new tradition for Palm Sunday. In the Armenian Church, it is designated as the day to Bless the Children. Early Palm Sunday morning, His Holiness had invited families to come and receive a special blessing. The response was overwhelming, as hundreds of faithful brought their children to church early in the morning, to kiss the right hand of His Holiness and be given a blessed cross. Children and parents continued to stream into the church during and after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, each to receive a special blessing on this joyful day.
Following Divine Liturgy in the Mother See, His Holiness traveled to Yerevan?s St. Gregory the Illuminator Mother Cathedral. In anticipation of his arrival, children bedecked with flowers and wreaths of young willow branches, drew colorful chalk drawings outside of the Cathedral in honor of His Holiness. Over 10,000 faithful sons and daughters of the Armenian Church streamed into the Cathedral to greet His Holiness and receive a blessing. In the course of a few hours, His Holiness patiently and lovingly blessed thousands of young children. He made great efforts to personally bless everyone, from the youngest of infants to large groups of teenagers. And despite the rain, he made his way to the outside of the church to view the special drawings, much to the delight of the children.
During the course of the day, well over 40,000 people came to St. Gregory the Illuminator to pray, light candles, and participate in the day?s joyful events.
