On Saturday, March 6th, 2019, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Vigil service held on the eve of the feast commemorating the descent of St. Gregory the Illuminator into the dungeon, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. On this feast, many faithful make a pilgrimage to Antelias, and it is solely on this day that the relic of the right hand of St. Gregory is revealed.
Addressing the faithful, His Holiness Aram I underlined that it was St. Gregory the Illuminator who flourished Christianity in Armenia, formerly established by the apostles St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew, thereby; giving Armenia a new identity based on faith. His Holiness also said that it is impossible to separate faith from peoples’ lives, which is why the Armenian culture is rich with spiritual literature. Finally, the Catholicos invited the faithful to renew their faith and devotion to Christianity.