The Feast of Vartan the Captain celebrated with Divine Liturgy at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia

On February 8, 2024, under the presidency of the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Kirakos Davtyan, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint George in Tbilisi dedicated to the Feast of St. Vartan the Captain and his 1036 Companions. The celebrant was Rev. Father Virap Gazaryan.

The celebrant and clergy offered a prayer at the altar consecrated in the name of Saint Vartan Mamikonyan and His Companions in the Cathedral of Saint George.

During the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Kirakos Davtyan preached about the heroic commanders and their companions who fought nationwide for the sake of faith and Homeland. In his sermon, His Grace Bishop Kirakos highly valued patriotism, courage, and devotion to the faith, embodied by Vartan the Captain and his Companions, and encouraged the faithful to remain loyal to the memory and heritage of Saint Vardan the Captain and his Companions and Saint Ghevond the Priest and his Companions, urged them to live with the ideas of protection the motherland, keeping the national values, and being faithful.

The Diocesan Primate highlighted in his sermon that the feast of St. Vartan the Captain and his Companions is the commemoration day of those thousands of heroic soldiers who fell in the struggle to defend the Motherland and keep Artsakh Armenian during the 44-day Artsakh war and whose memory is maintained in the hearts and souls of the nation and people.

The Feast day of St. Vartan the Captain and Companions is also celebrated as the Naming Day of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. On that occasion, at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a Pontifical Prayer was offered. A joint prayer service was offered for the steadfastness and glory of the Catholicosate of All Armenians wishing the Supreme Patriarch long life and productive spiritual service.

His Grace Bishop Kirakos Davtyan congratulated all the men whose name is Vartan on the occasion of their Naming Day and wished them to be descendants of Vartan Mamikonyan and His Companions, to be their brave sons.

The Feast of St. Vartan the Captain and His Companions was celebrated with Divine Liturgies at the churches of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.