Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On May 30, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the feast of Saint John the Forerunner (Baptist)  and Bishop Atanagine, which is also the pilgrimage day of St. Shoghakat Monastery in Etchmiadzin.

In the morning, the cross-reliquary enclosing the relic of St. John the Baptist was taken from the Mother See to St. Shoghakat Monastery in a solemn procession of churchmen.

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; led the procession to the Arch of St. Gregory the Illuminator, blessing the pious people with the relic of the greatest saint. Then, His Holiness Karekin II handed the holy relic to Proto-Archimandrite Zakaria Baghumyan, Director of the Christian Education Center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.  

In front of the St. Shoghakat Monastery, the procession was greeted by many pilgrims, under the leadership of His Grace Bishop Artak Tigranyan, Dean of the Monasteries.

On the occasion of the feast, a Divine Liturgy was served in the monastery. The celebrant was the abbot of Shoghakat monastery, Rev. Fr. Aris Tonoyan.

At the conclusion of the sacred ceremony His Grace Bishop Artak Tigranyan blessed the faithful people with the cross bearing the relic of  Saint John the Forerunner.