On Thursday evening, June 29th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the 93rd commencement ceremony of the Armenian Theological Seminary held in Bikfaya. Cilician brotherhood and priesthood, MPs and community leaders, heads of educational and cultural institutions, seminary teachers, parents, and friends attended the event. An artistic performance prepared by the…
Upon his return to the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias from his pontifical visit to the Armenian community in Canada, His Holiness extended a salutation letter to the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and expressed his warm commendation for his solidarity with the people of Artsakh and their right to self-determination, as well as…
On Tuesday, June 27th, 2023, His His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received the Central Committee of the Social Democrat Hunchag Party, headed by the Committee Chair Dr. Hampig Sarafian. They discussed the challenges faced by Armenians, especially in Armenia and Artsakh, and stressed the imperative of forming a special nationwide council, in response to the current…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, a meeting was held between His Holiness Aram I and the Swiss members of the ARMENOFAS Foundation in Geneva to assess the foundation’s work in the past decade and adopt the priorities for the upcoming period. In attendance were the president of the Protestant Church…
On Wednesday, June 21st, 2023, the first full meeting of the World Council of Churches Central Committee following the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe commenced in Geneva, Switzerland, and will conclude on June 27th. H.E. Arch. Nareg Alemezian and V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, who were elected as members of the Central Committee, participate in this…
Following His Holiness Catholicos Aram I’s lecture on St. Nerses the Gracious at the Trinity College of the University of Toronto, on June 13th, His Holiness Aram I met with the General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches, Pastor Peter Noteboom. They discussed matters concerning the ecumenical movement, and Pastor Noteboom underscored the…
During his pontifical visit to Toronto, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I met with the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lebanon in Toronto Mr. Krikor Postadjian. In attendance were the Prelate of Canada and the pontifical delegation.
On Thursday, June 15th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received Mike Kharabian, the chair of the Central Committee of the Armenian Democratic Party, in Toronto. Kharabian briefed His Holiness on his latest meetings in Armenia, and they discussed topics pertaining to the current situation of Armenia-Artsakh-diaspora relations. His Holiness, in turn, stressed…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and as per the invitation of the His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II, V. Rev. Fr. Stepanos Pashayan and V. Rev. Fr. Hovagim Panjarjaian participated in the Holy Etchmiadzin Brotherhood conference, in Armenia. The conference, entitled “Holy Etchmiadzin as a Mission,” was also attended by representatives…
On Tuesday, June 13th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, accompanied by the pontifical delegation and representatives of various Armenian organizations in Toronto, visited the A.R.S. Roubina Nursery, Babayan Kindergarten, Kololian Elementary School, and Lapoyan High School. The principal of the A.R.S. Armenian School welcomed the Catholicos on behalf of the teachers and students,…
On Monday, June 12th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I met with the ARF “Soghomon Tehlirian Chapter” Committee at the Armenian Community Center of Toronto. The meeting was attended by the Prelate of Canada HE Arch. Papken Tcharian, the ARF Central Committee of Toronto, the pastors of St. Mary Church, and representatives from the…
An artistic celebration in honor of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I was held at the Armenian Youth Center of Hamazkayin Canada in participation of St. Mary Church “Zareh Aznavorian” and “Meghrig Parikian” church choirs, “Hye Asdgher” children’s choir of the Hamazkayin “Kelatsor” Chapter, “Kousan” choir, and “Yerepouni” dance troop. The ceremony concluded with…
On Tuesday, June 13th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I gave a lecture on St. Nerses the Gracious, whose 850th commemoration coincides this year, at the Trinity College Chapel. The lecture was hosted by the director of the Orthodox Christian Studies at the Faculty of Divinity of Trinity College, University of Toronto, V. Rev.…
On Saturday, June 10th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I held a meeting with representatives from the Armenian organizations in Ontario, at St. Mary Church, within the framework of revitalization and reorganization of the diaspora following the 2023 declaration of the Catholicos as the Year of the Armenian Diaspora II.
An official banquet was held in honor of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I at the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto on June 10th, 2023. The event was attended by HE Arch. Papken Tcharian, Prelate of Canada, HG Bp. Torkom Donoyan, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the USA, Mr. Krikor Mahseredjian, co-chair of the…
On Friday evening, June 9th, 2023, an official banquet was organized in honor of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I HE Arch. Papken Tcharian—Prelate of Canada—HG Bp. Torkom Donoyan—Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the USA—Mr. Krikor Mahseredjian—co-Chair of the Central Council of the Catholicosate—Mr. Mher Karakashian—Chair of the ARF Central Committee in Canada—Ms. Dzovig…
On June 11th, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered his message at St. Maty Church in Toronto and was assisted by HE Arch. Papken Tcharian and HG Bp. Torkom Donoyan. As June 10 marked the Feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s deliverance from the pit [khor virab], His Holiness…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I visited the Armenian community in Cambridge on Friday evening, June 9, 2023, and delivered his pontifical address at St. Nshan Church. The Prelate of Canada HE Arch. Papken Tcharian and the Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the USA HG Bp. Torkom Donoyan accompanied His Holiness, as the pontifical procession—consisting…
On Thursday morning, June 8th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, accompanied by his pontifical delegation consisting of the Prelate of Canada, Prelate of the Western Prelacy in the USA, Co-chair of the Central Council of the Holy See of Cilicia and Dean of the Armenian Theological Seminary, led by Canadian police procession, visited the…
On Wednesday evening, June 7th, 2023, the pontifical procession consisting of clergy, the Homenetmen Toronto band, scouts, and the ARF Canada youth chapter, arrived at St. Mary Church. His Holiness Catholicos Aram I entered the church with the Hrashapar hymn, accompanied by the Prelate of Canada H.E. Arch. Papken Tcharian and the Prelate of…
On Tuesday, June 6th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and his pontifical delegation visited the Lebanese Embassy in Canada and were warmly welcomed by Ambassador Fadi Ziadeh and the embassy’s staff. They discussed topics related to the Lebanese internal affairs and the economic crisis.
With the invitation of the Armenian Ambassador to Canada, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and his pontifical delegation visited the Armenian Embassy in Canada and were warmly received by Ambassador Anahid Harutyunyan and the staff, on June 6th. During the meeting, His Holiness underlined that a difference in approaches to subjects should not be…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I met with the Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, in Ottawa on the afternoon of June 6, 2023. The meeting, attended by Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Mélanie Joly, H.E. Arch. Papken Tcharian, Prelate of Armenian Prelacy of Canada, Mr. Hagop Der Khatchadourian, President of ANC-International,…
Within the framework of his pontifical visit to Canada, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I met with representatives from Armenian organizations in Montreal at the Pastrmadjian Hall of Sourp Hagop Armenian School. The main agenda of His Holiness’ pontifical visits is reorganizing and revitalizing the Armenian diaspora as underlined in the Catholicos’ 2023 declaration. …
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and his pontifical delegation were warmly received by the Consul General of Lebanon to Canada Mr. Antoine Eid, at the General Consulate, on June 5th, 2023. The delegation consisted of Prelate HE Arch. Papken Tcharian, V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Quebec Mr. L. Afeyan, the…
An official banquet was organized in honor of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I at Plaza Volare in Montreal, on the evening of June 4, 2023. In attendance were the Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of the Eastern USA, the Armenian Ambassador to Canada, the Honorary Consul of Armenia in Quebec, the co-Chair of the…
On Saturday evening, June 3rd, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the Divine Liturgy celebrated at Bon Pasteur Catholic Church in Laval by H.E. Arch. Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the USA. H.E. Arch. Papken Tcharian, Prelate of Canada, and V. Rev. Fr. Keghart Kusbekian, chair of the Religious…
On Friday evening, June 2nd, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I led the procession consisting of clergy, headed by Homenetmen Laval band and scouts to Sourp Kevork Church in Laval. With the Hrashapar hymn, His Holiness entered the Church, where Canonical prayer was held. In attendance were members of the Central Council of the…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received Mr. Hagop Der Khatchadourian—chair of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau, Mr. Raffi Donabedian—member of the ARF Bureau, Mr. Mher Karakashian—chair of the Central Committee, and members of the said committee: Mr. Saro Der Bedrosian, Ms. Maral Nazarian, and Mr. Hovig Tufenkjian. In attendance at this meeting were…
On Friday afternoon, June 2nd, 2023, Prelate of Canada H.E. Arch. Papken Tcharian and the Executive Council of the prelacy held a meeting. In attendance were Mr. Krikor Mahseredjian, co-chair of the Central Council of the Holy See of Cilicia, and Dr. Jirayr Basmadjian, member of the said Council. During the meeting, they discussed…
On Friday morning, June 2nd, 2023, the pontifical delegation accompanied by community heads and members, headed by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, visited the Aram and Berdjuhi Markarian Nursery, ARS kindergarten, Sarafian Elementary, and Pastermadjian Secondary schools. The principal of the Sourp Hagop Armenian School Ms. Lory Abrakian delivered the welcoming remarks. Subsequently, the…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I’s pontifical visit to Canada proceeded on Thursday evening, June 1st, 2023, with His Holiness and the pontifical delegation visiting Sourp Hagop Church. The pontifical procession consisted of clergy, acolytes, the Homenetmen GAMK band, and scouts. The Hrashapar hymn was sung as His Holiness and his entourage entered the Church,…
On May 31st, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, accompanied by V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian and the co-chair of the Central Council of the Catholicosate Mr. Kirkor Mahseredjian, arrived in Canada for a pontifical visit. His Holiness was officially received at the airport by the Prelate of Canada H.E. Arch. Papken Tcharian, H.E.…
