21 December 2014. On Sunday, the Armenian Chatholicosate of Cilicia celebrated the feast of the Deacon and Protomartyr St. Stephen. Archbishop Norayr Ashekian celebrated the Holy Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias.

At the end of the liturgy, at Catholicos Aram I’s reception for the clergy and the laity, the seminarians recounted the life of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and the deacons vowed to serve the church with loyalty, obedience, humility and responsibility.

In his message Aram I said that serving the Church in Christ’s way meant carrying the cross of Jesus. “In the seminary,” he continued, “we prepare clergy to provide spiritual guidance to our people in the diaspora based on love and the unconditional commitment to serve.” He concluded, “Such a commitment happens at the cost of personal sacrifice and suffering.”

The celebration ended with His Holiness Aram I’s blessings and the Cilicia Anthem.