On 9 March 2013 on the feast day of the Forty Martyrs the Divine Liturgy took place at St. Echmiadzin Church in Tbilisi.

The priest, who conducted the Divine Liturgy, recalled the Holy Forty, a group of Roman soldiers who came from the different cities in Lesser Armenian and served near the city of Sebaste, whose martyrdom in the 4th century for the Christian faith is recounted in traditional martyrologies.

They did not betray the Christian faith and accepted martyrdom. The relics of the Forty Martyrs are kept in Sebaste, where in the future a church consisting of forty domes dedicated to Holy Forty was built. This church was destroyed after the invasion of Tamerlane.

A table stood in the church during the service; it was decorated with 40 lighted candles, which symbolized faithfulness of witnesses to the Christian faith and their crown of martyrdom. A candle of a martyr, who could not stand the suffering, was left without a flower and symbolized his loss of the earthly and heavenly life.

In his sermon the priest told about the feast and advised to follow the example of the Forty Martyrs, and in all the complexities of life to remain faithful Christians, overcome temptations in order to deserve the Kingdom of Heaven.

After the end of the service the spiritual fathers of the church traditionally consecrated vegetable oil, and believers took home the consecrated oil.