On March 25, 2018, on Sunday, before the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated Palm Sunday, the victorious entrance of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the occasion of the Feast in the all churches of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

Since morning the courtyards and surrounding areas of the Armenian churches in Tbilisi were crowded. The faithful came with joyful mood to become a participant of the happy feast of the entrance of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem.

On the eve of Palm Sunday, on Saturday, a pre-feast service of Palm Sunday offered in the churches, during which the curtains of the church tabernacle opened. After the Morning Service, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in churches, which were full of faithful.

The Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan celebrated the Divine Liturgy. Honorary members of the community, public figures, many faithful were present at the Liturgy.

During the Divine Liturgy Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan in his sermon talked about the mystery of the Palm Sunday and spiritual message of the feast. Reminding faithful about the sufferings, which Jesus Christ had withstood during last days of his earthly life, the Primate encouraged attendees to live with the festive mood of the day, with love, faith and warmth, to abandon the fear, loneliness, and to live with Christ, because Our Savior is everywhere, always in our souls with His love and power. His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan highly appreciated the fact that the Georgian-Armenian faithful celebrates the church feasts in accordance with the calendar of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, preserving their identity.

The church tabernacle was decorated with willow and palm branches, which symbolizes the solemn celebration of the feast. Under the leadership of His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, with singing of the Makar Ekmalyan Choir, the branches were blessed and divided into people.

A few years ago, the feast of Palm Sunday was proclaimed as Children’s Blessing Day by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

In the end of the Divine Liturgy, priests performed the order of children’s blessing.

Surb Prkich (the Holy Savior) Church in Batumi was crowded in the occasion of the Palm Sunday. The high-ranking guests, members of the community and many faithful attended the Divine Liturgy. Rev. Father Ararat Gumbalyan celebrated the Divine Liturgy, after which the students of the Alexander Mantashyants Center and the children from Batumi were blessed.

The feast of the Palm Sunday with Divine Liturgy and Blessing of the Children Service was also celebrated in St. Gregory the Illuminator church in Akhaltsikhe, Surb Khach (Holy Cross) church in Akhalkalaki, St. Sargis Church in Ninotsminda and “St. Gregory of Narek” Center in Rustavi. The pastors of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia visited the Armenian-populated villages of Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda, Tsalka, Marneuli, Bolni, Tetritsgharo and performed the Blessing of the Four Corners of the Earth (Andastan), blessed the olive and palm branches, the symbols of the day, as well as blessed the children.

After the Evening Service the curtains in the churches opened and the Opening of the Door Service (Drnbatsek) was performed.