New York’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral welcomed His Beatitude Archbishop Sahak II, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, for an uplifting Patriarchal Divine Liturgy on Sunday, June 29.
It was the culmination of the Patriarch’s weeklong sojourn in the New York regional community, marking his first official visit to the Eastern Diocese since his election to the patriarchal throne in 2019.
Led into the sanctuary by a large procession of priests, deacons, alar servers, Patriarch Sahak celebrated the badarak and delivered the homily.
Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan warmly received the Patriarch and introduced him to worshippers in the crowded cathedral, who then listened with rapt attention to Patriarch Sahak’s spiritual message of hope and Christian conviction.
The great Gomidas Choir and St. Vartan Cathedral Choir, under the direction of Kris Kalfayan, and accompanied by organist Ari Terjanian, provided a magnificent rendering of the sacred music.
The liturgy was followed by banquet in honor of Patriarch Sahak II.
Watch a recording of the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy on the St. Vartan Cathedral Facebook page.
Click here to view photos of the service by photographer Harout Barsoumian.