On Sunday, November 19, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the Divine Liturgy at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York, celebrated by His Grace Bishop Torkom, Prelate of the Western Prelacy. His Holiness was welcomed by Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor, the Board of Trustees, and the faithful who had flocked from New York and other areas to participate in the Divine Liturgy and listen to the pontifical message.
His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, and Bishop Torkom delivered heartfelt speeches, which were followed by Catholicos Aram I’s message to the faithful. 
His Holiness shed light on the significance of the family and characterized it as an institution of divine creation. He recalled key passages about the family found in the Gospel and the apostles’ epistles, and then focused on the Armenian family, describing it as a small church, homeland, and school for Armenians. He characterized the Armenian family as the source of our values, with a crucial past and present role in the survival and identity preservation of the Armenian people. He emphasized the critical need to preserve the sanctity of the family, its identity, and the national character, particularly in current times when a variety of conceptions and lifestyles have begun to erode the traditional profile of the Armenian Christian family. Concluding his message, His Holiness urged the Armenian family to remain steadfast in upholding its spiritual, moral, and national values.
