His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over Divine Liturgy at the Holy See of Antelias on Sunday, May 29, during which a solemn prayer was said for the Republic of Armenia on occasion of the 104th anniversary of the independence of the first Republic. It was also an opportunity to mark the anniversary of the naming of the Catholicos, who took his name after Aram Manoukian, one of the main leaders of the struggle that led to the independence of our homeland and a minister in its first government.
His Holiness blessed the flag of Armenia during Divine Liturgy, followed by a prayer to God Most High to protect the homeland and illuminate its leaders. The Catholicos also prayed for the Lord’s blessing of the entire Armenian nation.
At the end of the religious ceremony, a school function prepared by the Theological Seminary students took place at the Catholicosal Residential Complex. Rev. Fr. Kevork Karageozian, assistant dean, delivered remarks on this opportunity, saying that “May 28 is the fulfillment of our dreams, the glory of our past, and the hope for our future.” The date symbolizes Armenians’ spirit of freedom and the rebirth of our people. “It is the answer to our prayers and the chance God has given us to live freely, fight, get back on our feet and continue to live.”