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HH Karekin II presides on 40th Anniv of Consecration of St. Vartan

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  • HH Karekin II presides on 40th Anniv of Consecration of St. Vartan

    PRESS RELEASE
    Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
    630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
    Tel: (212) 686-0710
    Fax: (212) 779-3558
    Web: http://www.armenianchurch.org/
    Email: [email protected]

    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.
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