Parish pastors from across the Eastern Diocese converged on New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral on Friday evening, October 4, to receive the new Holy Muron: the oil sanctified in splendid ceremonies at Holy Etchmiadzin on September 28, to be used in the sacramental anointing services of the Armenian Church.
The Armenian Church calendar lists the following saints under the title “Holy Translators”: Sahag the Parthian, Mesrob Mashdots, Yeghishé, Movses the Grammarian, David the Invincible, Gregory of Nareg, and Nersess of Hromgla.
You might think it’s a misprint. Everyone knows that Jesus had exactly twelve disciples—so why does the Armenian Church calendar reserve a feast day for the Seventy-two Disciples of Christ? (We’ll observe it this Saturday, October 5.)
During two days that combined splendid pageantry with profound spiritual significance, the worldwide Armenian Church bore witness to a historic chapter in the life of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
During the Blessing of the Holy Muron ceremony, Catholicos Karekin II extolled the unifying power of Holy Muron, as the sanctifying sign of the Holy Spirit.
