On June 3, 2018, Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. On the occasion of the Feast, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the churches of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.
Armenians in Georgia are connected with the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin with special love and faith. The evidence is church with the same name in Avlabari district, in Tbilisi. From early morning, Armenian faithful in Tbilisi gathered at the church to participate in the festive Divine Liturgy.
The Saint Etchmiadzin church was crowded with faithful. Armenian faithful in Tbilisi were joined by pilgrims both from different regions of Georgia and from Armenia. The Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Saint Etchmiadzin church in Avlabari.
Pastor of the Saint Anna church in Yerevan Rev. Father Tachat Davidyan, pilgrims arrived from Akhaltsikhe, led by Rev. Father Torgom Vardanyan, Pastor of Saint Gregory the Illuminator church in Akhaltsikhe and nearby villages attended the Divine Liturgy.
During the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan conveyed to the attendees pontifical blessings and warm wishes of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians on the occasion of the feast. Diocesan Primate began his sermon preaching about the mystery of the day, when all faithful together celebrates the establishment of the spiritual center of all Armenians. The celebrant announced the motto of his homily “Ej Miatsinn I Hore” (“The Only Begotten of the Father Descended”) hymn, he mentioned about the vision of the Great Patriarch of Armenia Gregory the Illuminator and told the history of the construction of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. He emphasized that the faithful Armenian people through pilgrimage go to the Etchmiadzin from Motherland and the Diaspora to receive the spiritual light. “Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin temple is an evidence of the faith of all Armenians, the Holy Etchmiadzin is a mission and thanks to the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church faithful Armenian people preserves, enriches and transmits to the next generations mysteries and rituals of the church, folk traditions and cultural values in the Motherland and the Diaspora. It is the guarantee of the eternity of our identity, faith, statehood and our language” - highlighted the Diocesan Primate in his message, urging the faithful to be united around the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, asked Almighty God for peace for Mother See of Armenia, Holy Etchmiadzin, Artsakh and Georgia.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, under the leadership of His Grace, the Pontifical Blessing service was offered. Faithful people and clergy prayed for stability of Holy Etchmiadzin and healthiness of His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, on the initiative of Pastor Rev. Father Virap Ghazaryan and with support of worthy sons of Armenian nation the blessed Matagh (Thanksgiving Animal Sacrifice) was distributed to the faithful at the church courtyard.
According to the Ritual Dictionary by Archbishop Malachia Ormanian, “Cathedral” means the Mother See and that name was given to Etchmiadzin Mother Temple. However, in other respects, all the churches with domes called Cathedral, and in theology that name considered the symbol of the generality of the church. These three meanings are in the line with Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, as it is a See, domed and general for all faithful.