August 21^st was a day of a grand celebration at the St. Mary Armenian Church in the Swedish city of Södertälje as leader of the Armenian Diocese of Ukraine, Fr. Bishop Marcos Hovhannisian officiated and consecrated the Holy Basin for baptisms and the marvelous Armenian cross-stone placed in the churchyard in commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, writes armchurch.info.

His Holiness was greeted by members of the community led by Acting Reverend of the Patriarchal Delegate of Central Europe, Fr. Archimandrite Tiran Petrosyan.

The ceremony was organized by Vicar of Scandinavia of the Patriarchal Delegate in Central Europe, Rev. Fr. Archimandrite Yeghishe Avetisyan, as well as pastors, Fr. Priest Norayr Gyanjumyan and Fr. Priest Stepanos Hovhannisyan, Deacon Ohan Petrosyan, members of the council of the Armenian churches of Södertälje, as well as benefactors and the faithful.

Among the attendees were high-ranking clergymen of sister churches, RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Sweden and Finland Artak Apitonyan, Mayor of Södertälje Bvel Godner, Consul David Manukyan, Secretary of the State Council for Christian Minorities of Sweden Max Stockman, benefactors Hrach Marutyan, Melkon Melkonyan, Silva Harutyunyan, Jvel Hovhannisyan and others.

In his sermon, Bishop Marcos Hovhannisyan stated that the consecration of the cross-stone and basin was another achievement for the Armenian ecclesiastical community of Södertälje and urged everyone to preserve the national and religious tradition. After consecrating the church’s Holy Basin for baptisms with the Holy Muron, His Holiness also consecrated the icon of baptism according to the procedure.

The basin for baptisms was donated to the church by Swedish-Armenian benefactor Hrach Marutyan. The cross-stone was sculpted by sculptor Garegin Mkhitaryan from Armenia.

RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Sweden and Finland Artak Apitonyan, Mayor of Södertälje Bvel Godner, Secretary of the State Council for Christian Minorities in Sweden Max Stockman and pastor of the Assyrian Church Gabriel Barkasho expressed their words of gratitude.

Congratulating the Armenians of Södertälje on the consecration of the cross-stone, His Holiness Tiran gave his blessings to the benefactors and the church council, wishing that the cross-stones become the symbol of the salvation of the Tree of Life and, with the intercession of the canonized martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, become our prayers to God for world peace and the spiritual advancement of the Armenian ecclesiastical community of Södertälje.