New Saints at the Altar of the Lord
The Fragrance of Holiness Wafts from the Vatican to the Entire world
A Heavenly Wedding Crowns Archbishop Ignatius Maloyan and Other Servants
Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
A divine Ecclesiastical event that will be witnessed by believers around the world... All eyes are on the Vatican with anticipation and reverence. The time of joy is approaching... A heavenly joy manifested in a wedding of faith celebrated by the people of the earth on Sunday!
The Blessed Archbishop Ignatius Maloyan will be crowned a Saint at the Altar of the Lord after a journey filled with hope and humility. The countdown to Maloyan's Canonization is drawing to a close, leading up to the official date set by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV: Sunday, October 19, 2025. A Solemn Mass will be held in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, attended by Church Leaders and believers from all over the world.
Archbishop Maloyan was killed during the massacres of 1915, and he demonstrated his steadfast faith in the Lord through Prayer, service, love, and, most importantly, fidelity to Christ until death. This was demonstrated in his words and deeds during his life. Before his death, he told the Turkish soldiers, "We have been nothing but loyal to the state. But if you ask us not to be loyal to our religion, it will never, never, never happen."
With the Canonization of the Blessed Maloyan on Sunday, the Church will celebrate new Saints who carried in their hearts the light of Christ and were the light that the Lord desired on earth... They chose to lay up Treasures in Heaven, defended the oppressed, and were a source of comfort to many who had lost hope.
Who are these Saints that the world will celebrate in St. Peter's Square?
The Vatican has announced the new names that will be canonized on Sunday, and with them, the fragrance of holiness will spread throughout the world... names that will be inscribed in the golden register of heaven.
These Saints are José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, a Venezuelan physician known as the "Doctor of the Poor"; María del Carmen Rendiles Martínez, a Venezuelan Nun and Founder of a Religious Congregation; Maria Troncatti, a Salesian (missionary) Nun who worked for many years in Ecuador; Vincenza Maria Poloni, Founder of a Community of Nuns from Verona, Italy; Peter To Rot, a lay Catechist from Papua New Guinea martyred for his commitment to Christian service; and Bartolo Longo, an Italian lay reformer known for his activism in spreading the Rosary and charitable work.
On the concept of holiness, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV emphasized, saying: "Holiness is not measured by comparison, but by communion," in his address to participants in the meeting of studies of the Servant of God Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, on Monday, October 13, 2025.
Speaking about the importance of encountering the Lord, the Supreme Pontiff spoke during his audience with the Augustinian Recollette Nuns on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, noting that "To encounter the Lord in the life we have so gladly embraced, we must walk a path, as pilgrims do. It is true that there are many paths, but they all boil down to two: “Mercy and truth” (Ps 24:10). Let us walk towards the Lord along these two paths, serving like Martha in works of mercy or resting like Mary at the feet of Jesus to contemplate the truth."
Truth comes from Jesus Christ, who called us to holiness... a holiness that many consider unattainable. However, devout Prayer, love, and diligent work in the service of every neighbor and stranger are essential factors towards encountering the Lord on a journey crowned with holiness and hope.