On Jan. 11, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians received members of diocesan youth unions of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church, as well as non-governmental organizations and student councils of universities at the ceremonies hall of the Gevorgyan Spiritual Lyceum of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The youth visited the Mother See to wish His Holiness a Happy New Year and Merry Christmas and to receive his blessing and message.

The meeting began with opening remarks by head of the central office of the youth union of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Gevorg Mkrtchyan, who wished the Supreme Patriarch a Happy New Year and Merry Christmas. Afterwards, Director of the Office for Conceptual Issues of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan addressed the youth and mentioned that the large presence of youth at the Mother See was bringing a new sweep and conveying more air to everyone to continue living with faith in God and for the brilliant future of all Armenians.

The event included beautiful performances of national and spiritual songs by the choir of Gevorgyan Spiritual Lyceum.

His Holiness, Catholicos of All Armenians gave his blessing to and expressed his appreciation of the youth and wished that the year 2014 would be a year of happiness and success. The Supreme Patriarch mentioned that with the blessing of God, the youth must make efforts to make sure that all Armenians and mankind are blessed in the year to come. The Catholicos of All Armenians urged the youth to take advantage of the visit to the spiritual center of all Armenians to pray at the Mother Temple, follow the Commandments and contribute to the advancement of the Homeland and the shaping of a good future of the nation by living for the nation and the church.

In the end, the Supreme Patriarch also answered the youth’s questions related to the activities of the Church ahead of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the classification of the victims of the Genocide as saints, the collaboration between the Catholicosate of All Armenians and the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, the advocacy efforts of the Church, the current state of affairs of the Syrian-Armenian community and the support to Syrian-Armenians, as well as the spiritual service in the army and church-state relations.

Information System of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin