An ecumenical ceremony was held at St. John's Cathedral in New York


The inter-church ceremony was dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. The first Ecumenical Council of Nicaea was held in 325 at the invitation of Emperor Constantine the Great. The council was attended by people from all over the Christian world, including Bishop Aristakes, son of Gregory the Illuminator, from Armenia. At that time, the rules and standards of the faith were developed. During the council, the Christian Creed was approved, and the time for celebrating Easter was the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. The decisions of the council were accepted by all Christian churches.

Eventful week


Armenian faithful from Portugal and Spain participated in Christmas services
The community of the St. Karapet Church in Anapat, located in the Western Diocese of the United States, celebrated the 13th anniversary of the consecration of the sanctuary
Bishop Narek Berberian, Primate of the Diocese of Brazil, visited the Arpi Nursing Home in São Paulo

The Premier of Ontario participated in the Holy Nativity Liturgy at Holy Trinity Church


The Holy Nativity Liturgy was celebrated at the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Toronto by the Deputy Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada and the spiritual pastor of the church, Father Zareh Zargarian. At the end of the Liturgy, Father Zareh performed a water blessing ceremony. As an appreciation for the care shown to the residents of the province of Ontario and the Armenian community, Father Zareh presented the Prime Minister with a wooden cross made in Armenia.

At the beginning of the year, the Catholicos of All Armenians received families from Artsakh


On December 31, ten families from Artsakh who had children in 2024 were hosted at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The Catholicos of All Armenians expressed his fatherly blessing and support to them. His Holiness blessed them with the “Protector” prayer, after which the little visitors and their parents took photos with the Armenian Patriarch and received holiday gifts.

On December 31, the Catholicos of All Armenians visited the maternity hospital of Etchmiadzin


Accompanied by the leadership of the maternity hospital, His Holiness met with all the newborns and their mothers, blessed them and prayed for their health and happiness. Women awaiting childbirth were also blessed. His Holiness presented the maternity hospital with an icon of the Holy Mother of God. During the visit, on behalf of the Catholicos of All Armenians, the Social Services Office of the Mother See distributed gifts to all the newborns and their mothers.

Pontifical Liturgy celebrated at the Mother Cathedral on Christmas Day


The Brotherhood procession accompanied the Catholicos of All Armenians, dressed in the vestments of a Celebrant, to the Mother Cathedral. This year, the canopy of the Armenian Patriarch was carried by members of the Architectural Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church. A Pontifical liturgy was served, at the end of which a water blessing ceremony was performed. It symbolizes the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. A muron-bearing dove was brought to the altar and the Armenian Patriarch poured holy muron into the pots. This year, the godfather of the cross is Karen Nazaryan, Executive Director of the Armenian Round Table Foundation of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Mother See has published the schedule for the New Year and Christmas holidays


The Mother See invites the faithful to participate in the New Year's Pomegranate Blessing Ceremony. At midnight, a Republican Prayer will be held in the Mother Cathedral. On January 1, at 10 a.m., a Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in the Mother Cathedral. On the evening of January 5, the Christmas Eve will begin with the Candlelight Divine Liturgy. At 10:30 a.m., a Pontifical Liturgy will be celebrated, during which a Water Blessing Ceremony will be performed.

Eventful Week


The Assyrian Church of St. Mary of the East in California celebrated the upcoming Christmas with a bilingual church concert
A consecration ceremony was held at the St. Vardan Cathedral of the Eastern Diocese of the USA
A concert dedicated to the 155th anniversary of Komitas' birth was held at the Holy Trinity Church in Constantinople

The past year was historic for the Armenian Apostolic Church


In 2024, two historic events took place in the life of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian people: after decades of renovation, the Mother Cathedral was reconsecrated and reopened. Then the Holy Myron was blessed. In addition, bishops, priests, and deacons were ordained this year. The Brotherhood of the Mother See was replenished with new members.

The exhibition "Evangelical Manuscripts: The Biblical Treasury of the Matenadaran" has opened at the Matenadaran


A new thematic exhibition opened in the Donation Hall of the Mashtotsyan Matenadaran presents the Four Evangelists. Exclusive manuscripts that have not been exhibited or have been rarely exhibited have been selected. They tell the story of the art and artists of the time, starting from the 11th-12th centuries to the later period.

The degrees of acolytes, oratory, and semi-deaconry were given at the Mother Cathedral.


In front of the Holy Table of the Descent, Bishop Makar Hakobyan, Primate of the Diocese of Syunik, conferred the degrees of scholastic, oratorical, and semi-deacon upon the students of the Gevorgyan Theological Seminary and the Priest Training Course. A Liturgy was celebrated under the presiding authority of the Catholicos of All Armenians. 11 students of the Gevorgyan Theological Seminary and one graduate of the Priest Training Course were ordained deacons by His Bishop Makar.

The annual chess tournament dedicated to King Abgar has been restored


After a four-year break, the annual chess tournament dedicated to King Abgar has been restored in the Araratian Pontifical Diocese. The tournament began in 2013 with the blessing of Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan. The event dedicated to the feast of St. Abgar, the first faithful king, is one of the most unique chess competitions in Armenia. Members of the APD Youth Union and Sunday School students, priests, students of the Gevorgyan Theological Seminary, spiritual servants and soldiers of different ages and experience participate. This year, participants were young people from the Artsakh Diocese and the Yerevan Chess Federation.