Feast of Saint Gregory the Illuminator’s Emergence from the Pit Celebrated with Divine Liturgy at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia

On June 21, 2025, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the Feast of Saint Gregory the Illuminator’s Emergence from the Pit (Khor Virap). With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Kirakos Davtyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, the Divine Liturgy dedicated to the feast was celebrated at the Cathedral of St. George in Tbilisi by Rev. Father Virap Ghazaryan.

During the Divine Liturgy, Rev. Father Virap offered a sermon reflecting on the meaning of the day, on the suffering endured by St. Gregory the Illuminator in the pit of Khor Virap, and on his unwavering faith, which gave him the strength to withstand the cold, hunger, and inhuman torments, to survive among snakes and scorpions, and, after fourteen long years, to emerge from the pit and devote himself to spreading the light of the Christian faith throughout the Armenian land.

Rev. Father Virap also reflected on the personal vow he made upon receiving his priestly ordination: to always celebrate the Divine Liturgy in commemoration of three feasts, St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Descent into the Pit, His Emergence from the Pit, and the Discovery of the Holy Relics, throughout his ministry.

The Feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Emergence from the Pit was also celebrated with Divine Liturgies in other functioning churches of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia.