First Annual Meeting of Yeretsgins Held in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
On April 7, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the presidency and blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the first meeting of Yeretsgins (priest’s wives) was held on the occasion of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.
On this occasion, 120 Yeretsgins from the Armenian Dioceses and Artsakh, visited the Mother See, and were also present at the Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral.
Following the service, the meeting of Yerestsgins was convened in the Events Auditorium of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary. His Grace Bishop Arshak Kachatryan, Chancellor of the Mother See, gave opening remarks. Bishop Arshak highlighted the importance of the first meeting of the Yeretsgins, noting that the message of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary provided a warm atmosphere for the unique meeting, and the spiritual sacrament of the feast further emphasized the involvement of the priest’s wives in the missions of their spouses.
Presenting a report on the “Role of the Yeretsgin in Pastoral Life” were Rev. Fr. Zorayr Karapetyan, Parish Priest of the Voskevaz community in Aragatsotn Diocese and Yeretsgin Zinarik Antonyan. Father Zorayr reflected on the unique role of the Yeretsgin in the community life and specified the crucial elements of their involvement in pastoral life. Yeretsgin Zinarik expressed her gratitude to the Catholicos of All Armenians for granting them this unique opportunity to meet. As a good example of the productive involvement of the priest’s wives in the community life, Yeretsgin Zinarik also presented the Christian education project “Light to Children” (Luys Mankants) undertaken through the efforts of the Yeretsgins in the Aragatsotn Diocese. Yeretsgin Zinarik highlighted the essential and responsible involvement that the priest’s wives have during the pastoral service of the priests. Sharing the priest’s responsibilities, the Yeretsgin should serve as a good example for the people with her virtuous bearing, church- devoted service and humble demeanor. During the discussion they presented various educational, social and preaching projects organized inside the dioceses by the yeretsgins, aimed to make the service of the clergymen more productive.
At the conclusion of the meeting the Catholicos of All Armenians extended his paternal blessings and message. His Holiness offered his congratulations and best wishes to all, on the occasion of the Annunciation of St. Mary, exhorting the Almighty to keep their families healthy and happy under His blessings. Reflecting on the crucial role of the Yeretsgin for the priest in his mission, His Holiness Karekin II highlighted the importance of their awareness, their spirit of servitude and commitment in assisting the priests. The Catholicos of All Armenians noted that the calling of the clergyman is to serve the Church, and the Yeretsgin should also have that awareness, urging her spouse to succeed in his mission, so that God’s blessing is abundant in their families. Expressing his joy on the occasion of the various projects presented during the meeting and the efforts of the Yeretsgins, His Holiness noted, “It is very commendable that the Yeretsgins support the priests in their service and mission. I am immensely happy and pleased that many priest’s wives are undertaking such projects. I offer my appreciation to the priests’ wives, who bring honor to their spouses and glory to our Holy Church, serving as a beautiful example for the others. I see a great force in the priest’s wives. Being involved in the service inside the pastoral life, you will be successful without any doubt”.
With blessings from the Catholicos of All Armenians a decision was made to establish a method to organize the annual Yeretsgin meeting as well as various humanitarian projects to be implemented through the initiative of the Yeretsgins. Present at the meeting were His Grace Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Grant Sacristan of the Mother See; His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Director of the Office of Ecclesiastical Issues; His Grace Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, Rector of All Religious Educational Institutions of the Mother See and Dean of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary.
