Feast of the Universal Church of Holy Etchmiadzin celebrated in Tbilisi

On June 22, 2025, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the Feast of the Universal Church of Holy Etchmiadzin. On this occasion, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the churches of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

At the Cathedral of St. George in Tbilisi, under the presidency of His Grace Bishop Kirakos Davtyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, the Divine Liturgy was offered by Rev. Father Husik Harutyunyan. At the St. Etchmiadzin Church in Avlabari, the celebrant was Rev. Father Samvel Torosyan.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Diocesan Primate offered his congratulations to the faithful on the occasion of the Feast of the spiritual center of all Armenians and conveyed his heartfelt wish that they be blessed by Holy Etchmiadzin. His Grace recalled the vision of St. Gregory the Illuminator and the story of the construction of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. He emphasized that faithful Armenians from the Homeland and the Diaspora continue to make pilgrimage to receive the spiritual light of Etchmiadzin, for the material cathedral of Etchmiadzin stands as a testament to the spiritual faith of the entire Armenian nation.

The day was doubly festive for the St. Etchmiadzin Church of Avlabari. Deeply devoted to the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Armenian community of Georgia built a church bearing the same name in 1805, in the Avlabari district of Tbilisi. During the festive Divine Liturgy, the celebrant, Rev. Father Samvel Torosyan, congratulated the faithful on the occasion of the 220th anniversary of the founding of the St. Etchmiadzin Church in Avlabari, which to this day continues its sacred mission of service to the faithful Armenian community of Tbilisi.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, with the support of devoted members of the Armenian community in Tbilisi, a traditional Matagh (Thanksgiving Animal Sacrifice)offering and reception were held in the courtyard of the St. Etchmiadzin Church. The festive spirit continued throughout the day in the Avlabari district, where Armenian national songs and dances filled the air until late in the evening.