On June 7, the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church celebrated Holy Etchmiadzin Day.

On the occasion, a Divine and eternal Liturgy was served by Director of the Christian Education Center of the Mother See, His Grace, Father, Bishop Vardan Navasardyan and officiated by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians at the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Touching upon the symbol of the holiday in his sermon, His Holiness Vardan mentioned that everyone had gathered to celebrate the establishment of the divine Mother Cathedral, that is, the spiritual center of all Armenians. “Yesterday we, as Christians, as followers of the Armenian Church, celebrated the day that the First Patriarch of All Armenians, St. Gregory the Illuminator came out of the Khor Virap (Deep Dungeon) and spread the Light of God across Armenia. Today, the Araratian Week is ending with remembrance of the establishment of Holy Etchmiadzin in 303.

The father of our faith, St. Gregory the Illuminator, came out of the Khor Virap and not only cured the king with his prayer and built places where the sacred relics of the holy virgins were buried, but also believed with the Armenian king in the vision of God, according to which after Ascension, Our Lord and Savior Jesus had come down to the Holy Etchmiadzin (place of establishment of the Patriarchy of the Armenian Church), consolidated the patriarch, the king and the people and built the Cathedral, and for centuries, kings, princes, patriarchs came there to say their prayers and shed their tears and turned it into the place where the Lord and man meet.”

His Holiness mentioned that no matter where Armenians live, they always look towards and think about the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. “The Holy Etchmiadzin never became just a building. By way of creation of God, man became a church, and each of us, according to Paul the Apostle, we are the cathedral of the living God. Dear faithful, we are all the Armenian Church. We must all find our place within the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church because we believe that the church is the home where the prayers of God are said,” His Holiness Vardan said, calling on everyone to renew their sacraments by taking advantage of the Holy Etchmiadzin Day.

Among the participants of the sacred ceremony were members of the executive board of the World Council of Churches, as well as benefactors of the Mother See and many pilgrim Armenians.

At the end, a wish for the eternity, glory and welfare of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin was made by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.