The 104^th anniversary of the First Independence of the Republic of Armenia was celebrated at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral during the Divine Liturgy with thanksgiving prayers and blessing of the flag ceremony, as well as a requiem service for the repose of the souls who fell for their homeland and its independence, on Sunday, May 29th, 2022, presided by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. At the end of the Liturgy, Independence celebrations continued in the main hall of the Catholicosate where the name day of His Holiness, named after the founder of the Republic, Aram Manougian, was also marked.

The message of the day was delivered by the Catholicos, who stated that not only the Armenians of Armenia and Artsakh, but also those living in the Diaspora are the defenders of the integrity of the independence, and underlined the imperative of their unity in this regard. Speaking about the martyrs of the 2016 and 2020 war in Artsakh, perpetrated by Azerbaijan, His Holiness stated that Armenian heroes shed their blood for the sake of the freedom and independence of the Armenian nation. Finally, he raised his prayers to God beseeching Him to endow wisdom on the Armenian leaders.