The Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias - Lebanon, Prepares for Its Pilgrimage Day
Father Movses Yosolkanian: It is the 1700th Year of the Commemoration of Saint Gregory the Illuminator
What Are the Details of the Celebration?
Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
With profound joy and great hope, and with a spirit full of faith, reverence, and piety, the Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias - Lebanon, prepares to celebrate its annual pilgrimage. A day when the faithful and the saints unite in Prayer, hymns, and supplication to the Lord. A day when fragrance of holiness unites with the scent of incense from the Catholicosate's to the whole world.
March 22, 2026, is the anticipated date. A date on which the holiness bestowed upon so many martyrs and saints is honored. This year, the pilgrimage day also marks a special and historic occasion, one that will deepen the lives of believers, fostering greater love, obedience, service, and work in the Lord's vineyard. What is this occasion? And what is its symbolism?
In an interview conducted by the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Coordinator of Media and Church Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), via Voice of Van Radio, Father Movses Yosolkanian, Eco Justice Unit Officer at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), pointed out that 2026 is the 1700th Year of the Commemoration of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, and therefore a significant year for the Church.
In this context, Yosolkanian explained that on March 22, the faithful will be able to visit the Catholicosate from early morning to venerate the right hand of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, which is placed publicly once a year, alongside the Relics of other Saints, including Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Saint Sylvester, and the Hermit Barsam, which will be carried in a procession for the occasion.
Hence, the invitation remains extended to all the faithful to participate in this day of pilgrimage, to venerate the relics of the Saints, and to Pray for the establishment of the values of peace, love, and fraternity throughout the world.
Let us Pray together: “O God… You raised up your servant Gregory the Illuminator to be a light in the world, and to preach the Gospel to the people of Armenia: Shine, we pray, in our hearts, that we also in our generation may show forth your praise…” (from the Prayer of the Feast of Saint Gregory the Illuminator).