On Sunday, June 22, the Mother See of Armenian Church celebrated the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin, commemorating Etchmiadzin’s founding through the mystical vision of St. Gregory the Illuminator.
His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, presided over the Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral, which was celebrated by Archbishop Haigazoun Najarian, the recently-retired Primate of Australia, and a longtime friend of the Eastern Diocese, who served in the jurisdiction for many years.
Among those attending the service were diocesan primates of the Armenian Church, members of Etchmiadzin’s monastic brotherhood, clergy representatives from the Catholicate of Cilicia and the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Constantinople, and numerous pilgrims from across Armenia and the diaspora.
Several of Etchmiadzin’s precious holy relics were brought forth for veneration of the faithful, including a fragment of the True Cross; the Holy Lance of Geghard; the relics of St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Sahak Partev, and St. Gregory of Narek; and a reliquary of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.
To conclude the badarak, clergy and faithful offered prayers to God for the continued strength and radiance of the Mother See and the Catholicos of All Armenians.
As always on this day, Armenian faithful across the world lifted their voices in the feast day’s distinctive prayers and sang the Pontifical Hymn. In the Eastern Diocese, Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan released a message in advance of the feast day, urging the community to join in prayers of solidarity, peace, and unity. (Click here to read it.)
In a message, Catholicos Karekin II spoke with passion about the enduring meaning and purpose of the Mother See. “Through Holy Etchmiadzin, our people have been steadfastly united,” he said. “Indeed, there is no Holy Etchmiadzin without the Armenian nation, and the Armenian nation without Holy Etchmiadzin.”
We went on: “Holy Etchmiadzin is the unfading, radiant beacon illuminating our people’s path to salvation…. In this Christ-revealed place, the re-establishment of the Patriarchal Throne centuries ago led our people to reunite in Armenia and restore their independent statehood. In history, various powers at times sought to obstruct the Holy Church’s mission and subjugate it…
“Yet true to its salvific mission, Holy Etchmiadzin remains unwavering — safeguarding the rights and interests of our nation, preserving the unity of our people, and uniting the entire Armenian nation everywhere to face the tribulations of our national life with courage and faith.”
Read more, and find photos and video, on the Mother See’s Facebook page.