Feast of Saint Gayane and Her Companions Celebrated in the Armenian Church
24.05.2016
On May 24, the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church commemorated the sacred feast dedicated to the memory of St. Gayane and her companion nuns.
The ecclesiastical procession, accompanied by numerous pilgrims and the drum band of the AGBU Armenian Church Youth Centers, walked to the Monastery of Saint Gayane. The solemn procession was led by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; who blessed the crowds along the procession. In front of the St. Gregory the Illuminator arch, His Holiness conveyed the Holy Relic to His Grace Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Grant Sacristan of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
The procession was met in front of the St. Gayane Monastery by the clergy and His Grace Bishop Artak Tigranyan, Dean of the Monasteries of the Mother See.
On the occasion of the feast, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Anania Tsaturyan, acting Abbot of the Monastery of St. Gayane.
Father Anania delivered a sermon about the significance and mystery of the feast and noted in part, “Today's celebrative nun received the divine truth, lived through that truth and testified that truth with her life. The sacred nuns rejected the needs of this physical life, because they realized that all this is just a dream in the transient time. These pious virgins remained faithful brides of Christ: enduring various trials and torments, were awarded the unfading crown… St. Gayane urges us not to lose the sacred somberness”.
Father Anania also stressed that the man who is faithful towards God, his family and the Homeland, is walking in the path of perfection; ready to lend a helping hand and support the in need Christian.
“Also today, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church openes its doors to the faithful and many people with the call of consciousness, both male and female, with Christ's love and holiness, united in existence to transform their lives and be like today's commemorative saints: to be angels on earth”, concluded Fr. Anania.
After the Divine Liturgy, the faithful had an opportunity to kiss and be blessed by the relics of the nun. The service was offered by His Grace Bishop Artak Tigranyan.
