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On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, the Armenian Church remembers Constantine the Great and his mother, Helena. Constantine was the first Christian emperor of Rome. In 330 he founded Constantinople as a “second Rome,” and considered himself to be a servant of God. He was buried amid the apostles in the basilica he founded in their honor in Constantinople
Khat the Bishop worked closely with St. Nerses the Great. Like Nerses he had great passion for social issues, especially helping the poor. Nerses entrusted most of the benevolent work of the church to Khat. He is so closely associated with St. Nerses that the church honors them on the same day.
St. Nooneh and St. Mane were two of the companions of St. Hripsime, who being persecuted by the King Dioklethianos, had left Rome and reached to Armenia. However, the nuns were not destined to die together with their companions.
Reaching Armenia together with her companions St. Mane left them and went to the Mountian Sepouh, in Ekeghyats region, where remaining isolated in a cave, lived an ascetic life. St. Mane lived an “angel’s life”, strengthened by means of prayers and divine consolation, and later the cave was called by her name “Mane’s cave”. Hagiographer presents interesting information concerning the last days of life of St. Maneh.
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Etchmiadzin. The very name “Etchmiadzin” means “The Place Where the Only Begotten Descended.” It recalls the sacred vision granted to St. Gregory the Illuminator, in which Christ Himself descended and pointed to the spot where the Altar of Light should be built. It was there that the foundation of our Mother See was laid—both physically and spiritually.
For over seventeen centuries, Holy Etchmiadzin has stood firm as the center of our faith and the foundation of our national identity. She has remained steadfast in the Apostolic tradition, guided by the divine authority entrusted to her by our Lord Jesus Christ, and passed down faithfully through generations of Catholicoi and saints.
Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Deliverance from the Pit. Over 1,700 years ago, King Trdat threw St. Gregory into a dark pit near Mount Ararat. It was a prison, a place of suffering, meant to break his spirit. St. Gregory endured unimaginable hardship for thirteen long years, but he never lost his faith. He trusted that God had a plan, even in his darkest moments.
After thirteen years, God sent a vision to King Trdat, leading to Gregory’s miraculous rescue. Not only was Gregory freed, but he also went on to transform Armenia, leading the nation to embrace Christianity. What was meant for his harm, God used for his good and the good of an entire nation.
Yesterday, I had lunch with my friend Haig Buchakjian at a small Italian restaurant right across the street from the Diocese. It’s called Nonna Dora’s. Now, it’s not a big place. It’s not fancy, but it’s known for handmade pasta. And what makes it truly special is that Nonna Dora herself, well into her 80s, still sits right there by the kitchen, rolling out dough with her own hands.
As I sat there enjoying that meal, my thoughts drifted back to Armenia in the early 1990s, some of the hardest years of our lives. There were power outages, food shortages, and bitter cold winters. And yet, in the midst of that hardship, my grandmother Eva, may God rest her soul, would find a way to feed us. With just a little flour, some water, and her own two hands, she would make Reshta, our Armenian version of linguini.
In every championship, there’s a prize. In every race, there’s a reward. Athletes train for hours, rising before dawn, pressing through fatigue, through injury, through disappointment. They face criticism. They endure setbacks. But they keep going. Why? Because their eyes are fixed on the trophy.
St. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Run in such a way as to get the prize.” That means run with purpose. Run with passion. Run like you know God is going to crown your effort with victory. Because He will.
The feast of Holy Etchmiadzin commemorates the establishment of the Armenian Church and the eradication of paganism. The cathedral of Etchmiadzin was built by St. Gregory the Illuminator after his deliverance from the pit, to the specifications he saw in a vision and on the place marked by the Lord with a golden hammer.
When I graduated from the Seminary and was ordained a priest, my father would proudly introduce me every time we met someone new. He would say, “Do you know my son, Hayr Mesrop? He graduated from the Gevorgyan Seminary with honors. He’s a priest now, ordained at Holy Etchmiadzin.” His heart was full. He was proud. Proud not just because of the achievement, but because I was his son.
Friends, that’s exactly how your Heavenly Father feels about you. He’s smiling over you. He’s talking about you in Heaven. Not because you’re perfect, but because you’re His.
The Armenian Church commemorates the virgin saints Hripsime and Kayaneand their companions. Thirty-three nuns, led by Kayane, left Rome and sought refuge in Armenia hoping to escape the Roman Emperor who desired one of the nuns, the beautiful Hripsime. Click on heading above to read more…
