Author Lusine Balyan

Karekin II Catholicos of All Armenians has proclaimed the year 2018 as the year of youth. One of the program is the Pan-Armenian Youth program “Towards Home, towards Holy Etchiadzin”. Around 400 young people from other Armenian dioceses of the world are in their homeland since July 4.  They have been to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Oshakan. Third day of the gathering of Pan-Armenian Church Youth Organization was in Tsakhkadzor. 

Today, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II visited operational sites of the Nakhichevan section on the Armenian-Azerbaijani inter-state border accompanied by the clergy of the Mother See. To address the link between army-church, the Armenian Patriarch stated: “Do not doubt as just like in the past, today and in the future too, the Armenian priest will stand next to the Armenian soldier, on the front line”. 

The children of the camp of Nor Nork school N 135, were waiting impatiently for the Catholicos in the foyer of the Mother See Chancellery. The children came to Holy Etchmiadzin with the pastor of Nor Nork St.  Sarkis Church Father Norayr Baghdasaryan. 

On June 21,  Commemoration of the Sts. Sahak Partev and Mesrop Mashtots was celebrated in Oshakan. St. Mestop Mashtots Church of Oshakan, which contains the cemetery of the saint, is the Mother Cathedral of Aragatsotn Diocese. On the festive Divine Liturgy many pilgrims were present with their diocesan priests and thir families and community members. 

The curtains of the altars in all churches has been shut to commence the Great Lent. The Christians have a special conduct during those days. 

 

The second Sunday of the Great Lent is called Sunday of Expulsion in view of the exile of Adam and Eve from paradise. During the Divine Liturgy in the Mother Church, numerous believers partook in the sacrament of the Sunday of Expulsion.

 

On April 21, the results of the 2017 Pan-Armenian Awards “For notable contributions to the preservation of the Armenian identity” organized by the Ministry of Diaspora were summed up and diplomas were granted during a solemn ceremony.  Armenian Theological Seminary of Jerusalem won the first prize “Best Armenian School”.

Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Library of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the National Library of Armenia have an extensive experience of cooperation. Recently, a book exchange took place. The National Library presented 100 books to the Calcutta Humanitarian Seminary functioning under the auspices of the Mother See. 

 

The idea to get together as a rock band was Van’s and Vaspur’s. Later they were joined by Marek and Marianna. They tell the rest of the story. 

The Historical-Archaeological Museum “Metsamor” was constructed in 1968. All the exhibits displayed here feature specific cultural layers of diverse eras. They were all without exceptions unearthed in this territory. More than 27 000 artifacts were discovered during the excavations of over half century, yet the name of the settlements is still unknown.