PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: ktrij@etchmiadzin.am
December 10, 2004

His Holiness Karekin II Consecrates Church of St. Astvatsatsin

On December 9, the newly constructed church of St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother
of God) was consecrated in the village of Arevashogh, Diocese of Gougark.
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,
offered the service of consecration and presided during the ceremonies.
Assisting His Holiness were His Eminence Archbishop Grigoris Buniatian,
primate of the Armenian Diocese of the Ukraine; His Eminence Archbishop
Barkev Martirosian, primate of the Diocese of Artsakh (Republic of Nagorno
Karabagh); and His Grace Bishop Navasard Ktchoyan, Vicar of the Araratian
Pontifical Diocese.

The foundation of the church had been laid and blessed in August 2003 and
was built through the patronage of Mr. Samvel Adamian from Donetsk, Ukraine.

His Holiness’ entourage was greeted at the border of the Lori region, near
the city limits of Spitak, by the primate of the Diocese of Gougark, His
Grace Bishop Sepouh Chouljian; the governor of the Lori Region, Henrik
Kochinian; and a delegation of regional and municipal authorities. The
Pontifical delegation was escorted to the village of Arevashogh, where His
Holiness was welcomed by hundreds of faithful who offered bread and salt to
be blessed.

Inside the newly built church, the primate of the diocese, Bishop Sepouh
greeted His Holiness Karekin II stating, “The Pontiff of All Armenians is
with us today, who has come from Holy Etchmiadzin to bring consolation to
his sons and daughters, and to bless and consecrate this sanctuary of
worship and house of prayer. By consecrating this church, the Catholicos
will be blessing all of us, and from this time forth, this sanctuary will
become a fortress of Armenian faith.”

With the singing of spiritually uplifting hymns and the recitation of
psalms, His Holiness consecrated the holy altar of the church with Holy
Muron (Chrism). The four bishops present assisted His Holiness during the
service, and consecrated the baptismal font and sixteen columns of the
church.

At the end of the service, the Catholicos of All Armenians addressed his
message of blessing to the faithful of Arevashogh:

“Today a new blessing is descending from heaven upon the village of
Arevashogh, because together with you, in prayer and worship, we consecrated
this new church in the name of the Holy Mother of God. From this day on,
the doors of this church will be open before all of you, so you can come and
stand before the holy altar, to offer your prayers to heaven in the presence
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to submit your request to God. With this
church, your lives will progress according to the commandments and love of
the Gospel, and goodness will flow from above into your lives.

“.For more than seventeen centuries, ‘the Church of the Armenians’ has been
the birthplace of every Armenian soul, where the faith of each Armenian has
been fortified, his courageous will and spirit has been molded, and he has
been able to withstand manifold tribulations that have befallen our people
throughout history. Today, the temptations are no less for our nation:
economic and social difficulties, the undesirable moral condition in our
country, and numerous attacks in the spiritual field seeking to damage and
shake our ancient faith. However, we are confident and have always
believed, that each church which opens her doors before the faithful becomes
a new fortress of our spiritual life, an impregnable citadel of our
steadfast faith, intended to keep and protect our Armenian people, complete
and serene, unified and in one accord.”

His Holiness also extended words of commendation to the primate of the
Diocese of Gougark for his dedicated and devoted service, as well as to the
regional authorities who assist Bishop Sepouh in the accomplishment of his
mission.

In appreciation of the church-building activities of the benefactor, Samvel
Adamian, His Holiness bestowed upon him the highest medal of the Armenian
Church – the Order of Saint Gregory the Illuminator. His Holiness presented
the new church with a gift of a chalice to be used for Holy Communion. The
Catholicos concluded his message to the faithful stating, “If daily prayers
are not offered under her arches, this church will remain only a building
built of stone.”, and urged the villagers to keep their faith steadfast and
their loyalty to the spirit and inheritance of their forebears unshaken.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress