PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-0710
Fax: (212) 779-3558
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Email: prl@armeniandiocese.org

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, will Preside over the Fortieth Anniversary Celebration of
the Consecration of St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral on October 12

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, will preside over the 40th anniversary celebration of the
consecration of St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York City and
bestow his blessings and good wishes upon the Armenian community of
America on Sunday, October 12.

His Holiness Karekin II will deliver his message of blessing to the
faithful participating in the Divine Liturgy at St. Vartan Cathedral,
celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern). A requiem
service also will be offered for the deceased founders of the
Cathedral followed by a commemorative luncheon and tribute.

`We are truly honored and blessed to know that our beloved Catholicos
will be present and participating in this most significant of
celebrations in our Diocese. The consecration of St. Vartan Armenian
Cathedral in 1968 is one of the most important events ever to have
taken place in the Armenian community in the United States,’
Archbishop Barsamian said. `Knowing that His Holiness will be
celebrating this momentous anniversary with our faithful links our
Diocese, once again, to our sacred Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.’

It is in the spirit of commemorating the past and celebrating the
future that the Eastern Diocese will mark the 40th anniversary of the
consecration of St. Vartan Cathedral. During services on October 12,
vessels containing newly-blessed Holy Chrism, known as Holy Muron in
Armenian, will be distributed to youth representatives of every parish
in the Eastern Diocese. The recipients will deliver the Muron to their
home parishes where it will be used for consecrations, baptisms and
ordinations.

`Just as our parents and grandparents gave us the gift of this
beautiful Cathedral and inspired us with their unwavering faith, we
must now share our rich legacy with a new generation of Armenian
Christians,’ the Primate said.

The Holy Muron ` a substance prepared with olive oil and other plant
extracts in a tradition that dates back to the Apostles of Christ ` is
blessed at Holy Etchmiadzin once every seven years. During this
special ceremony, the Catholicos of All Armenians mixes a portion of
the existing oil with the newly-made Muron and distributes it to
Armenian Dioceses all over the world.

On September 28, His Holiness Karekin II will preside at this year’s
Blessing of the Holy Muron. Pilgrims from the Eastern Diocese will
visit Holy Etchmiadzin to witness the service and to bring back the
Muron to the Cathedral in New York.

Consecrated in April 1968, St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral was built by
a generation of Armenian Genocide survivors who were determined to
preserve their faith in the New World. In its 40-year history, the
Cathedral has been home to countless spiritual and cultural events,
and today it continues to serve as the spiritual center of the Eastern
Diocese.

The October 12 program is part of a yearlong celebration of the
Cathedral’s anniversary that began this summer with an art exhibition
and concert featuring established and emerging Armenian-American
artists. Crowning the exhibition, which drew a capacity crowd on
opening night, was Arshile Gorky’s `The Artist and His Mother,’ loaned
to the Diocese by the Whitney Museum of American Art.

`This exhibition was a great success,’ said Lynn Beylerian,
co-chairwoman of the 40th Anniversary Committee. `We hope to see our
faithful join us again in October as we continue the celebration of
our Cathedral’s history with our spiritual leader, His Holiness
Karekin II.’

For more information about the October 12 events, please call the
Diocese.