ARCHBISHOP ANOUSHAVAN TAKES PART IN ECUMENICAL PRAYER SERVICE AT HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL IN NEW YORK

At the invitation from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, participated in an ecumenical prayer service during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, held on Thursday, January 29, at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New York. His Grace Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, also participated in the ceremony.

In remarks at the conclusion of the service Archbishop Elpidophoros offered a final reflection on 2025, during which the Universal Church marked the 1,700^th anniversary of Nicaea—the first ecumenical council. During his remarks, His Eminence stressed his gratitude to the Armenian Church.

“I want especially to note the contributions of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which took on the preparation and the theme for this 58th Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said. “The service that we celebrated this evening is certainly redolent with the sweet savor of the glorious traditions of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the enduring faithfulness of the Armenian people to praise God with piety and devotion.”

The theme this year was Unity of Body and Spirit, drawing from Ephesians 4:1-13: “I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

“Unity is a divine mandate at the core of our Christian identity, more than simply an ideal,” explains a document among the resources offered by the World Council of Churches in preparation for the octave, the eight-day observance of prayer. “It represents the essence of the Church’s calling – a call to reflect the harmonious oneness of our life in Christ amidst our diversity.”

In 301, Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion under King Tiridates III, making our nation a steward of the faith. Since then, the Armenian Apostolic Church has been an instrumental institution in shaping Armenian identity, and it stands as a haven for our heritage amidst external and domestic challenges.