Feast of St. Gayane and Her Companions Celebrated
17.06.2025
On June 17, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the feast of St. Gayane and her companions, the holy virgin martyrs.
On this occasion, a solemn morning procession of clergy set forth from the Mother See and proceeded to the Monastery of Saint Gayane. His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, led the procession to the Arch of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, blessing the faithful with the Right Hand reliquary containing the saint’s holy relics.
Thereafter, His Holiness entrusted the reliquary-bearing Right Hand to the Rev. Fr. Archimandrite Anania Tsaturyan, the Grand Sacristan of the Mother See.
At the entrance of the Monastery of Saint Gayane, the procession was received by Reverend Bishop Artak Tigranyan, Inspector of the Monasteries of the Mother See, together with the monastery's clergy and a multitude of devout faithful.
On the occasion of this sacred feast, the Divine and Immortal Liturgy was celebrated at the Monastery of Saint Gayane. The celebrant was Reverend Father Hieromonk Nerses Harutyunyan, spiritual pastor of the Armenian community in Italy.
Participating in the sacred liturgy were members of the Monastic Congregation of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, who had gathered from around the world in Holy Etchmiadzin for the monastic assembly, together with numerous Armenian pilgrims.
In his homily, Father Nerses reflected on the virtuous life and witness of the Sts. Gayaniank emphasized that through their martyrdom, the light of Christianity and divine truth spread throughout Armenia, and they became true witnesses of love for God.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Father Nerses exhorted the faithful to continually seek the intercession of Saint Gayane for the strengthening of their spiritual lives, for steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, and unwavering devotion to the Lord.
Following the Divine Liturgy, in the courtyard of the Monastery of Saint Gayane, under the presidency of Bishop Artak, the blessing of the faithful and the rite of Antasdan, the blessing of the four corners of the world, were performed with the reliquary-bearing Right Hand of the saint.
