Celebration of the Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin
22.06.2025
On June 22, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, commemorating the founding of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin through the vision of Saint Gregory the Illuminator.
In honor of this sacred day, a Divine and Immortal Liturgy was offered at the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, presided over by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The celebrant of the Divine Liturgy was His Eminence Archbishop Haykazun Najarian, one of the senior clergy of the Mother See. In attendance at the service were diocesan primates of the Armenian Church, bishops from various departments of the Mother See, participants of the Monastic Assembly, clergy from the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia and the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Constantinople, members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, benefactors of the Armenian Church, and numerous pilgrims from across Armenia and the Diaspora.
On this festive occasion, holy relics preserved at Holy Etchmiadzin were brought out for the blessing, comfort, and veneration of the faithful, including a fragment of the Lord’s Life-Giving Cross, the Holy Lance (Geghard), the Right Hand of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, relics of Saint Sahak Partev the Patriarch and Saint Gregory of Narek, the Skevra reliquary, and the reliquary of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a special blessing for Holy Etchmiadzin was offered before the bell tower of the Mother Cathedral. Clergy and faithful alike lifted prayers to God for the continued strength and eternal radiance of the Mother See. Finally, on this sacred occasion, His Holiness Karekin II conveyed his paternal blessings and message to the faithful.
Message of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11)
Beloved faithful,
It is with profound spiritual joy that we, as Patriarch, behold this soul-renewing feast of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin and witness thousands of our nation’s children gathered at the Mother See — from across our homeland and from the communities of the Diaspora. With paternal love, we greet you and convey our Patriarchal blessing and heartfelt wishes to you all.
We are assembled in this sacred sanctuary, hallowed by the descent of Christ, to renew our vows of love and dedication to God, to our homeland, and to Holy Etchmiadzin — which, through divine providence, has become the bastion of our nation’s spiritual awakening, the forge of our identity, and the wellspring of strength and renewal throughout our millennia-old history.
The Lord has called us His own, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9), and by the vision granted to our father, St. Gregory the Illuminator, He gifted us Holy Etchmiadzin — as our ark of salvation and the unshakable cornerstone of our faith.
As Apostle Paul affirms, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11). The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is the enduring sign of our people’s covenant with God, inscribed upon the soul of every Armenian. Holy Etchmiadzin is our spiritual essence and national visage — our heart and spirit, past, present, and future. Through Holy Etchmiadzin, our people have been steadfastly united. Indeed, there is no Holy Etchmiadzin without the Armenian nation, and the Armenian nation without Holy Etchmiadzin. As the historian Arakel of Tabriz wrote: “Upon the Right Hand and Holy Etchmiadzin the entire Armenian nation is bound together.” Holy Etchmiadzin is the unfading, radiant beacon illuminating our people’s path to salvation. From the Catholicosate See of Holy Etchmiadzin, guidance and blessing have been bestowed upon Armenians through the centuries. 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. Though various powers at times sought to obstruct the Holy Church’s mission and subjugate it to their interests,
Such paths, regrettably, have brought ruinous divisions within our national life. Yet our faithful people, heeding the Lord’s word that “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation” (Matthew 12:25), have always vigilantly preserved their unity and upheld solidarity for the sake of the homeland. Today we face similarly fraught times.
Though our nation faces many pressing trials, regrettably, discord continues to be sown within our society, instead of unity.
Instead of striving for unity in the face of numerous challenges confronting our nation, sorrowful acts continue to be perpetrated to divide our society.
The anti-church campaign unleashed by the authorities poses a grave threat to our national unity, undermines our country’s internal stability, and strikes directly at Armenian statehood. Only days ago, we bore witness to a reprehensible act: the unlawful persecution of the national benefactor, Mr. Samvel Karapetyan — a devout Armenian who has courageously defended Holy Etchmiadzin.
Hatred and hostility serve no righteous end. No nation is built by oppression, where fear and coercion reign, justice and peace cannot flourish.
Yet, true to its salvific and nation-strengthening mission, Holy Etchmiadzin shall remain 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 and homeland life with courage and faith.
Beloved, you have gathered today in filial devotion to venerate the sacred relics revealed on this feast — the Holy Cross of the Lord, the Right Hand of St. Gregory the Illuminator, the Holy Lance, and other hallowed treasures.
May the miraculous power of these holy relics grant us consolation amid trials in these complex and perilous times, strength to endure hardships, and hope for a prosperous and luminous future.
On this sacred day of the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin, we exhort you with the words of the Apostle: “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13 – 14).
Remain faithful to Christ-founded Holy Etchmiadzin and your identity.
Guard our history and sacred traditions with a steadfast will, faith, and sanctuaries, and be diligent in nation-building and deeds that benefit our homeland.
Live peaceably, love one another, and walk in ways that please God.
We believe that our people’s love for the Lord and devotion to their homeland are the solid foundation and sure guarantee for our common aspirations and visions, and a life of peace and security.
On this soul-reviving day, we express our Patriarchal gratitude to you and to all our children who, now as ever — and especially amid the trials of this condemnable campaign against the Church — demonstrate their unshakable love and support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church.
With united prayer, we beseech the intercession of our Father in faith, St. Gregory the Illuminator, and King St. Trdat.
May the peace of the Lord reign throughout the world; may our homeland and scattered people be secure and undisturbed, ever enlightened by the God-given faith, hope, and the grace that shines forth from Holy Etchmiadzin.
Let us pray for our sisters and brothers of Artsakh, standing with them in their suffering and perseverance.
Let us pray for the release of our sons and daughters held captive in Azerbaijan, and for the freedom of the esteemed national benefactor Mr. Samvel Karapetyan, unjustly imprisoned within our land. May the Almighty shelter us with His Holy Right Hand, and may the abundant blessings of Christ-sealed Holy Etchmiadzin forever encompass our people and the Armenian world.
May the grace, love, and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen.
