festive liturgy was served at St. Sarkis Church


The Christmas Candlelight Liturgy was celebrated at the St. Sarkis Cathedral with gospel readings announcing the birth and revelation of Christ, hymns praising the Mother of God, praise, and prayer. The faithful visited the church to hear the good news of the Lord's birth and to take the symbolic light home with them.

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.

21 Artsakh children living in the Mother See's shelter received Christmas gifts


The Social Service Office of the Mother See organized a New Year's celebration for the children of families forcibly displaced from Artsakh living in the shelter under the auspices of Holy Etchmiadzin. Currently, 17 families, 54 people, live in the shelter, one large and peaceful family, constantly under the attention and care of the Mother See.

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 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.

This year, 600 children from Artsakh participated in the AGBU "Nairi" camp


The "Nairi" camp began operating in 2020 after the war. Every year, hundreds of children and mothers from families forcibly displaced from Artsakh rest in the rest homes operating in Hankavan and Tsaghkadzor. Various specialists work with the participants to relieve the stress of the war. The Nairi camp will continue to operate in 2025, registrations will begin in January.

"Armenner" Ensemble Won the National Musical Instruments Festival in Tbilisi


The “Armenner” dhol ensemble of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the AGBU Nork Armenian Youth Center participated in the “National Musical Instruments and Singing” international festival held in Tbilisi. “Armenner” presented the composition “National Rhythms” during the festival. The dhol ensemble of the Nork Armenian Youth Center was recognized as the best in the “Most-Most-Most” nomination. The artistic director of the “Armenner” ensemble and the teacher of the dhol class is James Gasparyan.

Certificates were presented to volunteers who participated in the Blessing of the Holy Muron and the reconsecration of the Mother Cathedral


At the Pan ACYO central office of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, Director of the Office for Ecclesiastical Conceptual Issues of the Mother See, conveyed the blessing of the Catholicos of All Armenians to the young people and appreciated their devoted service to the church. The young people participating in the meeting expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in historical events as volunteers.

An exhibition of the pottery class students of the Arabkir Youth Center was held


The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Armenian General Benevolent Union's Arabkir Armenian Children's Home pottery class students organized an exhibition titled "Clay Poetry: The Fusion of Soil and Soul with the Hands of Little Ones" at the "Naregatsi" Art Institute. The opening of the exhibition was performed by Nare Nigoyan, a student of the Arabkir Armenian Children's Home, a kanoon player.

By the Encyclical of the Catholicos of All Armenians, priests have been granted the right to wear the pectoral cross


The Armenian Patriarch blessed the priests and wished them to never lose their commitment to serving God and the nation. His Holiness highly appreciated their contribution in organizing the blessing of the Holy Muron and the reconsecration ceremonies of the Mother Cathedral. The priests who received the right to wear the pectoral cross have served in the structures of the Mother See for about 25 years.

The Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II received the priests of the training course


The December gathering of the priests’ training program has concluded at the Mother See. On that occasion, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, received the priests from the dioceses of Armenia and the Diaspora participating in the course. For almost two years, dozens of priests have been undergoing a three-week period of prayer, reflection, and knowledge renewal at Holy Etchmiadzin.

The recreation and bedroom section of the FAR Children's Protection Center has been renovated


The children's bedroom section is ready after the renovation at the Children's Protection Center of the Armenian Apostolic Church's Armenian Relief Fund. They were temporarily accommodated in the first floor, in the classrooms, during the renovation. Bathrooms have been added, the bedrooms and areas for children's play, entertainment and relaxation have been newly furnished. The crisis intervention temporary care service provides support to abandoned and abused minors.