Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On April 01, on Holy Thursday, under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; the Washing of the Feet Service was offered on the St. Trdat Open Air Altar of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. During the ceremony, following the reading of the prayers, His Holiness blessed the water and oil on the Holy Altar. Then, the Armenian Pontiff blessed the faithful in attendance with the Protector’s Prayer; and following the example of Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ, His Holiness on bended knee, washed and anointed the feet of a number of Armenian sons, under the singing of hymns. Among them were members of the Brotherhood of the Mother See; Rev. Fr. Archimandrite Maghakia Amiryan; Rev. Fr. Husik Smbatyan; Major Stepan Aleksanyan and Sergeant Artur Igityan, participants of the Second War of Artsakh; Stole Bearer Narek Matosyan, student of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary; Saro Artenyan and Norayr Petrosyan, students of Eurnekian High School; Narek Abrahamyan, Avetik Vardanyan, Levon Martirosyan and Sahak Andreasyan, children of the brave Armenians who died or missing in the War of Artsakh; Samvel Adoyan, member of “Kyurkjian” children support center; as well as other children: Mher Kondyan, Davit Kuzikyan and Davit Tadevosyan. The ceremony was concluded with the reading of the Gospel and the prayer of the Catholicos of All Armenians, following which the blessed oil was distributed to the faithful.