International Orthodox Christian News

On Saturday, November 8, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, departed Kerala, India, after completing a fraternal visit to His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didymos I, Malankara Metropolitan and Catholicos of the East and travelled to Chennai (Madras) on the second stop of his Pontifical visit to India. On the morning of Sunday, November 9, His Holiness visited the St. Mary (Astvatsatzin) Armenian Church of Chennai and offered the service of re-consecration.

St Mary, which is the main Armenian Church of Madras, was originally built in 1712. Most recently it was restored by the Armenian Community of Calcutta over the last 2 years. It is one of the oldest Armenian churches in the Far East. On the grounds of the church are the burial sites of many important Armenians, notably Reverend Father Harutiun Shmavonian. A khatchkar transported from Armenia was added to his burial site and blessed by His Holiness Vazken I of Blessed Memory on his pontifical visit to India in 1963. The tombs of the Shameer Family are located in what was formerly an enclosed mausoleum which existed before the church was constructed, as well as a memorial to Armenian philanthropist Khojah Petros Voskan, whose body is buried in India, but in accordance with his final wishes, his heart is buried in Julfa, the land of his fathers. The church itself is located on Armenian Street in the heart of Chennai.

During the service, Very Rev. Father Oshagan Gulgulian, pastor of the Armenians of India, assisted by Deacon Harutyun Hambardzumian, prepared the Holy Altar and columns of the church by "washing" them with water and wine to cleanse them. His Holiness consecrated the Holy Altar of the church with the newly prepared Holy Chrism (Muron) brought from Armenia. He was assisted by His Grace Bishop Armash Nalbandian and His Grace Bishop Anushavan Jamkochian, as the sixteen columns of the church were also anointed with the holy oil. According to Armenian Church tradition, each column is named after one of the apostles, the evangelists and Armenian saints. Faithful in attendance had travelled from around India, the Far East, Europe and the United States. Following the conclusion of the service Holiness addressed the faithful and said in part, "Built by our forefathers in 1712, the Saint Mary Armenian Church of Madras served the sons and daughters of our nation here in India for 300 years and fulfilled its sacred mission by teaching them the Christian gospel and national inheritance. However, time has not spared our Indo-Armenian community. It has diminished in size and today we see only a handful of Armenians in India. Nevertheless, they keep and protect the faith of our forefathers alive in this hospitable land with devotion and vigilance…"

"Our souls and the souls of all those Armenians at rest in the courtyard of this church are overjoyed today. The sons and daughters of Armenia asleep in the Lord, whose tombs rest in this church in Madras bless us today for as they were always faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ, they pray today for us to remain the same… They pray that the language of Mashtots and the spirit of Narek always be present under the arches of St. Mary Armenian Church, enduring the passage of time and singing songs of praise to our Lord in heaven forever."

Accompanying His Holiness during his pontifical visit to India are His Grace Bishop Arshak Khachatrian, Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin; His Grace Bishop Armash Nalbandian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Damascus; His Grace Bishop Anushavan Jamkochian, Dean of the Yerevan State University Theological Faculty and Dean of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Mother Cathedral in Yerevan; His Excellency Ashot Kocharian, Ambassador of Armenia to India; Very Rev. Fr. Oshagan Gulgulian, Pastor of the Armenian community of India; Reverend Father Hovnan Hakobian, Staff-Bearer to His Holiness; Reverend Father Ktrij Devejian, Translator and Foreign Press Secretary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin; Mr. James Kalustian of the United States, Lay Member of the Supreme Spiritual Council; Mrs. Mania Ghazarian, Director of "Shoghakat" TV Studios, Mr. Surik Ter Grigorian, Chief Cameraman of "Shoghakat" TV Studios; Mrs. Paula Devejian, Director of the Internet Development Department of the Mother See and members of the Armenian Church Committee of Calcutta and Chinsurah.

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