Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On February 19, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; met the clergy who have completed the regular three-week Accelerated courses, who arrived from different dioceses of Armenia and the Diaspora.

His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan, Director of the “Garegin I” educational center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, asking for the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, provided information on the course of the Accelerated courses.

Afterwards, His Holiness, conveying his blessing to the clergy, emphasized the importance of the training courses organized at the Mother See in making their spiritual ministry more effective, which provide an opportunity for the clergy from different dioceses to come together at the Mother See, renew their vows, exchange spiritual experience, as well as discuss the current challenges facing the Church and society and ways to overcome them.

The Armenian Patriarch urged the churchmen to make every effort to serve the nation, the motherland and the Church more diligently in these hard and difficult days. In this regard, His Holiness instructed the priests to react appropriately to the undesirable phenomena taking place in the national life, contributing to the overcoming of the existing difficulties.

Referring to the support of Diaspora Armenians to the Motherland, His Holiness particularly urged the clergymen serving in the Diaspora to raise the challenges facing Armenia and displaced Artsakh Armenians to the local authorities through their communities.

The Armenian Patriarch also noted the active participation of the clergy in the education and upbringing of Armenians.

At the meeting, on behalf of the clergy who participated in the training courses, Rev. Fr. Norayr Baghdasaryan, Spiritual Pastor of the St. Sargis Church of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese of Yerevan in Nor Nork welcomed the Patriarch of All Armenians. Rev. Father Norayr expressed his gratitude to the Armenian Patriarch for organizing the courses, assuring them that they are useful in making the pastoral service of the priest fathers more effective.