Feast of Saints Gayane and Her Companions Celebrated
02.06.2026
On June 2, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the feast of St. Gayane and her companions, the holy virgin martyrs.
On the occasion of the blessed feast, a solemn procession of clergy departed in the morning from the Patriarchal Residence to Saint Gayane Monastery, bearing the Right Hand reliquary containing the saint’s holy relics.
Up to the Arch of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, the procession was led by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, who bestowed his blessing upon the faithful with the holy relic.
Thereafter, His Holiness entrusted the reliquary arm to His Grace Bishop Mushegh Babayan, Director of the Administrative and Economic Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
On the occasion of the feast, the Holy and Immortal Divine Liturgy was celebrated at Saint Gayane Monastery. The celebrant was His Grace Bishop Anania Tsaturyan, Sacristan of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In his sermon, reflecting on the life and martyrdom of the Holy Virgin Martyrs, Saints Gayane and her companions, Bishop Anania emphasized:
"The holy virgins came to Armenia to illumine the darkness of idolatry with the light of their purity. Today, we who live upon this land are likewise called, through our faithfulness and steadfastness, to dispel the darkness of despair, fear, and uncertainty that has overshadowed our lives.
Beloved faithful, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church continues to open the doors of monastic life to many devoted individuals who are conscious of their calling, so that, transforming their lives and following the example of the saints whose memory we commemorate today, they may, through their prayers, continually invoke God's blessing upon the Armenian land."
Bishop Anania Tsaturyan further noted that faithfulness is among the fundamental moral and spiritual values of human life, serving as a source of inner strength and helping one to remain steadfast in truth, goodness, and the path one has chosen.
Following the conclusion of the Holy and Immortal Divine Liturgy, in the courtyard of Saint Gayane Monastery, under the presidency of His Eminence Archbishop Haykazun Najarian, a member of the Monastic Clergy of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the faithful received a blessing with the saint's holy relic, and the Andastan Service (Blessing of the Four Corners of the World) was performed.
