Events

The Feast of Shoghakat of Holy Etchmiadzin that is always observed on the Saturday prior to the Feast of the Assumption. Shoghakat refers to the vision of the rays of light seen by St Gregory when God chose the site for the Mother Cathedral. The feast is celebrated at the time of Assumption because the…

St Anna and St Joachim, the parents of St Mary, are not mentioned by name in Holy Scripture. There is, however, a wealth of oral tradition concerning them. St Anna was a descendant of the royal line of King David. As she grew up, she was espoused to a God fearing, God loving man named…

St Jeremiah is one of the major prophets of the Bible. He was the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests of the town Anathoth, not far from Jerusalem. He lived and preached in Jerusalem. Feeling the calling to serve God he devoutly served, refusing to marry and have his own family. His life straddled…

St Thomas was born a Jew and was called to be one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. His name in Aramaic (Te’oma) and Greek (Didymos) means “twin”. John 11:16 identifies him as “Thomas, called the Twin”. However, we do not know of his twin or how he came to have this name. He…

St James is one of three people named James mentioned in the New Testament. He was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and is referred to as James son of Alphaeus to distinguish him from James son of Zebedee, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, who was martyred in Acts 12:2. The New Testament only…

The Belt (Girdle) of the Blessed Virgin Mary, today divided into three pieces, is the only remaining relic of her earthly life. According to tradition, the belt was made out of camel hair by the Virgin Mary herself, and at her Assumption, she gave it to the Apostle Thomas. According to Tradition, the Apostle Thomas…