Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, on December 7, the re-consecration ceremony of the Church of the Holy Savior of Gyumri took place. on this occasion, the relic of Savior Khmetrayit was brought to Gyumri from the Mother See of St. Ejmiatsin for the worship of believers.
As reported in Gyumri"Armenpress"correspondent, the Patriarchal procession led by crosses and crucifixes and accompanied by pilgrims entered the newly renovated church, blessing the present people.
On the occasion of the re-consecration of the temple, His Grace Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan gave his speech: "We thank you for this joyful day of our Patriarch. Today was a day of mourning for us, for the 36th year of the Holy Savior Church With the reopening, with your patriarchal presence, we confirm that Gyumri is being revived is reborn.
This church testifies that the city did not die because it believed in the miracle of its Lord's resurrection. And with the reconstruction, re-consecration and reopening of the Church of the Savior, we have closed the mourning page in the history of our city, not forgetting the innocent victims.
This church, as a praying monument, with its spirituality closes the page of mourning and opens the page of resurrection," said the diocesan leader in his speech. Catholicos of All Armenians Karegin II also spoke on the occasion of the re-consecration of the church. "Dear pious people, we performed the re-consecration ceremony of the Holy Savior Church in Gyumri with satisfaction. All souls are filled with spiritual joy. This 150-year-old temple, which was destroyed by the devastating earthquake of 1988, opens its doors again 36 years after the disaster. custodian in front of our faithful Gyumri children and pilgrims. Symbolic is that on the same day of the earthquake we perform the consecration ceremony of the temple.
Our souls, which bear the sorrow and incidents of the unfortunate event, are filled with joyful feelings on the occasion of the restoration of the church, as believers in overcoming our troubles and problems. Through the decades of our nation's peaceful mission, our people, with their work and the support of friendly peoples, straightened their backs and got a revival. : This humble church rose from the ruins thanks to the pious people of Shirak Diocese and strong faith.
From now on, with the Lord's mercy and your prayerful participation, the godly ceremonies will resume under the roof of this holy church. Always remember that every sanctuary built and restored thanks to dedication and faith in God becomes a source of hope and power. It is an undeniable truth that the spiritual life of our people is a church. This holy church is a unique symbol of the believers' spirit have to overcome the troubles of our life together.
Our Patriarchal message is to always be unbreakable in spirit and make our spiritual values a solid foundation for unity. Always keep the road to this sacred Temple busy," said the Catholicos of All Armenians, expressing his appreciation for leading the Diocese of Shirak for 25 years. He presented it to Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan for his devoted service the episcopal portfolio and the icon of the crucifixion of Christ. His Highness expressed his satisfaction and appreciation to the clergy of the diocese, as well as to those who contributed to the restoration of the church, led by the former mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Ghukasyan.
In order to contribute to the restoration of the church, His Holiness presented Vardan Ghukasyan with the medal of the "Saint Gregory the Illuminator" church. After the re-consecration ceremony of the church, a Holy Liturgy was served.
