Opening Ceremony of the Catholicosal Mausoleum and Candle Lighting Prayer Hall Held
27.07.2025
On July 27, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the opening ceremony of the Catholicosal Mausoleum and Prayer Hall for Candle Lighting, built in the courtyard of the Mother Cathedral at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, was held under the auspices of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
The Mausoleum and Prayer Hall were constructed through the generous sponsorship of the late national benefactor Karnig Yacoubian and Mrs. Anahit Chatalbashian-Yacoubian. The project’s architects were Aslan Mkhitaryan and Hayk Mkrtchyan, and Horizon 95 LLC carried out the construction.
In attendance were diocesan leaders from Armenia and the Diaspora, bishops and clergy of the Mother See, benefactor Mrs. Anahit Chatalbashian-Yacoubian, members and relatives of the Yacoubian family, and Armenian pilgrims from both Armenia and abroad who had gathered for the occasion.
The ceremony began with a solemn Patriarchal procession. Accompanying His Holiness were His Grace Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada, and His Grace Bishop Mushegh Babayan, Director of the Administrative Department of the Mother See.
To the accompaniment of hymns and psalms, the Holy Altars of the two chapels in the Prayer Hall were ceremonially washed with water and wine. Following the reading of prayers, His Holiness anointed the altars with Holy Chrism. He named the chapels after the first illuminators of the Armenian nation—Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew, the Apostles. Relics of the Apostles were also enshrined in the chapels for the occasion.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, a Requiem Service was offered for the repose of the soul of the late benefactor Karnig Yacoubian and the departed members of the Yacoubian and Chatalbashian families.
On this meaningful occasion, His Holiness delivered a paternal message, offering gratitude to Almighty God for the establishment of a new sacred site—dedicated to the spiritual comfort and strengthening of the Armenian people's faith—at the nation’s spiritual center, Holy Etchmiadzin.
“The initiative to build a pantheon for the interment of Catholicoi was first envisioned in 1955, during the pontificate of the late Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen I. We rejoice that, though unaware of that earlier vision, we were likewise inspired to undertake the creation of a Catholicosal Mausoleum in Holy Etchmiadzin. Today, this vision has been magnificently realized and will also serve our faithful as a prayer hall for candle lighting.
We glorify Almighty God that this sacred endeavor was made possible through the patronage of the distinguished benefactor, Mr. Karnig Yacoubian, and his noble wife, Mrs. Anahit.
Beloved, the Catholicosal Mausoleum will serve as the final resting place of the departed Supreme Shepherds of our Holy Church—those whose lives were wholly devoted to God, the nation, and the homeland.
It will remain a lasting testament to the spiritual mission of the Catholicoi of All Armenians, by which the ecclesiastical and national life of our people has been nourished and flourished. The blessed Catholicoi served in sacrifice, proclaiming Christ’s message of love, justice, and truth, and offering paternal encouragement to live and create in faith for the sake of our people and homeland.”
His Holiness further noted that the blessed Pontiffs were courageous witnesses of faith, beacons of hope during dark times, and enduring examples of resilience and fortitude for the Armenian nation.
He emphasized that in our present age—when false ideologies challenge core values and spiritual perceptions are increasingly distorted—such ecclesiastical structures, sacred sites, and places of pilgrimage stand as divinely blessed sanctuaries. With their profound liturgical and spiritual significance, they strengthen faith, guide souls toward salvation, and help cultivate lives pleasing to God.
“This structure is not merely made of stone—it is a house of prayer, a sanctuary for the faithful, with chapels dedicated to Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew. Here, liturgical services will be celebrated, and the faithful will lift their heartfelt prayers to the Lord. In such a sacred place, time meets eternity, and the heavenly unites with the earthly, for prayers that rise from the soul ascend to heaven and pour down divine blessings upon those who trust in the Savior.”
In his message, His Holiness also stressed that the construction of the Mausoleum and Prayer Hall is a powerful expression of the Armenian people's enduring faith, their noble spirit of charity, and their reverent honoring of those worthy of remembrance. With deep gratitude, he commemorated the late benefactor, Karnig Yacoubian, and extolled the Yacoubian family’s exceptional devotion to God and the nation.
As a mark of recognition for this praiseworthy accomplishment, His Holiness awarded the Order of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Armenian Church’s highest honor, to Mrs. Anahit Chatalbashian-Yacoubian, and the Order of Saint Gregory the Illuminator to her son, Aram Yacoubian.
In conclusion, the Catholicos prayed that the divine light of faith would continue to shine brightly in the souls of the Armenian people, and that, from this sacred hall, unceasing prayers would rise to God—for peace in the homeland, the prosperity of the nation, and the glory of the Holy Church.
Participants of the ceremony also attended the Divine and Immortal Liturgy, celebrated in the Mother Cathedral in honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration.
