The faithful celebrated the Feast of Presentation of our Lord to the Temple in the courtyard of the Holy Mother of God Church in Nork Marash


Members of the "Masunk" traditional song and dance ensemble sang songs dedicated to the Presentation of our Lord to the Temple around a bonfire in the courtyard of the Holy Mother of God Church in Nork Marash. Members of the church's youth union are also in this ensemble. The ensemble members held a master class in national songs and dances, making those present participate in the celebration.
 

The premiere of the composition "Graceful, Prayerful" took place at the Armenian Composers' Art Festival


Vache Sharafyan has dedicated a new composition to the 850th anniversary of the death of Saint Nerses the Graceful, Patriarch of All Armenians and the reconsecration of the Mother Cathedral. The premiere of the composition “Merciful, Prayerful” marked the beginning of the 16th Festival of Armenian Compositional Art. It was organized by the State Symphony Orchestra with the aim of popularizing the works of Armenian classical and contemporary composers. Within the framework of the festival, the works are recorded, videotaped, and the scores are digitized and preserved.

Students staged a play on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Gyumri Youth Center


At the Vardan Achemyan Drama Theater in Gyumri, students of the Gyumri Youth Center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin staged the play "The Nest." It is about the journey of an individual who enters the Youth Center and his or her own corner, which resembles a home and a nest. More than 70 students of the Youth Center, from dance, artistic gymnastics, theater classes and the choir, were involved in the play.

FAR supports forcibly displaced Artsakh residents living in border settlements of Tavush


The Armenian Relief Fund of the Armenian Apostolic Church is implementing the “Support for Displaced Persons from Nagorno-Karabakh and Host Rural Communities” program for the displaced from Artsakh with the funding of the German Federal Foreign Office. It started in September and will continue until next September. Under the program, about 500 families from Artsakh and local communities living in the communities of Tavush region have been provided with firewood in advance of winter. Every month, families are provided with hygiene items, and soon household appliances and accessories, dishes, and linen. Psychological support is provided to overcome the trauma of war, blockade, and forced displacement.

The museums of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin have been equipped with radio guide equipment


Information about the relics and valuable works of art kept in the museums of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin will now also be presented through radio guide equipment. During group tours, radio guide equipment in large halls will allow for a more comfortable excursion.

After Christmas, clergy perform a house blessing ceremony


To proclaim the good news and distribute blessings, priests visit the homes of believers, bless the goods of the house and family members. According to the testimony of the evangelists, the ceremony of blessing the house was established by Jesus Christ, commanding his disciples to wish peace in that house when entering it. From the first century, the apostles visited the homes of believers to proclaim the good news of the Nativity and the Glorious Resurrection and distribute blessings. This spiritual and pious ceremony is continued by the Holy Apostolic Church to this day through the blessing of the house.

American-based national philanthropist Sargis Bedevyan has died


He assisted in the establishment of the Vazgenyan Seminary in Sevan. He sponsored the construction of a comprehensive school in Gyumri. With his philanthropy, the Mother Church of St. Gregory of Narek was built in Vanadzor, and 3 years after its consecration, the Armenian Children's Home was put into operation. The Khrimyan Museum-Gallery, located in the southwestern part of the old monastery, built by Catholicos Mkrtich Khrimyan in 1896, was renovated with the philanthropy of Sargis and Ruth Bedevyan. The Bedevyan family contributed to the renovation of the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin.

The clergy performed a house blessing ceremony at the Saghmosavank monastery


Father Oshin Hayrapetyan and Father Paren Arakelyan from the Saghmosavank parish of the Aragatsotn diocese visited the home of a family forcibly displaced from Artsakh. The clergy brought the good news of the birth of Christ to a dignified working, creative, and productive family. They blessed the goods and residents of the home, told the children about the classes operating at the Saghmosavan Youth Center, as well as the Luys Children's program. 

With the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, the "Armenian Christmas" spiritual classical concert took place


In the "Aram Khachaturian" Concert Hall, with the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, the "Armenian Christmas" spiritual classical concert took place. The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra performed with the National Academic Choir of Armenia, sopranos Sarah Gilford and Siranush Gasparyan, mezzo-soprano Yulia Nikanorova, baritone Aram Khachaturian, and bass Hovhannes Nersisyan.

Candlelight Liturgy celebrated at St. Gregory the Illuminator Mother Church


The celebrant was Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan, Director of the "Garegin I" Educational Center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The participants of the candlelight service experienced the sacrament of the sacred ordination and partook of communion. Many awaited that moment with fasting and repentance. The faithful took the lit candles from the church altar lamp to their homes.

The year-end gathering of the youth unions of the Aragatsotn Diocese took place


With the blessing of the Diocesan Primate, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, 250 activists of the youth unions of the diocese and priests of the diocese gathered at the “Gulameryan” Armenian Youth House in Ashtarak of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The young people hosted Father Husik Smbatyan, a member of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and Secretary General of the Bible Society of Armenia. The spiritual responsible of the Youth Union, Father Paren Arakelyan, presented the programs implemented during this year and the achievements of the unions.

Ashtarak Youth Center duduk players won first place in the "World Art Games" competition


Participating in the “World Art Games” international competition held remotely in Spain, the duduk players of the Ashtarak Youth Center were awarded the honorary “First” prize. There is a duduk class at the Ashtarak Gulameryan Youth Center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The education is for 5 years. The duduk class already has graduates who have been admitted to music colleges.