His Holiness Catholicos Aram I Presides Over the Divine Liturgy on the 111th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide at the Catholicosate
On the occasion of the 111th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, thousands gathered on the morning of April 24, 2026, at the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia to honor the memory of the 1.5 million martyrs.
The commemoration featured the Divine Liturgy, followed by an Intercessory Service and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Monument-Chapel of the Holy Martyrs.
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), presided over the events. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Grace Bishop Dajad Ashjian, Chancellor of the Catholicosate.
Among the distinguished attendees were Dr. Nora Bayrakdarian, Lebanon’s Minister of Youth and Sports; Sarmen Baghdasarian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Lebanon, along with the embassy staff. Representatives from Lebanon’s three Armenian political parties, current and former Armenian and foreign Ministers, and Members of Parliament, as well as Leaders from Armenian organizations, institutions, unions, and bodies, were also present.
Following the Divine Liturgy, scout contingents accompanied the Pontifical procession to the Monument-Chapel of the Holy Martyrs, where His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the Intercessory Service dedicated to the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, with the participation of the Cilician Brotherhood and the Seminarians. The ceremony concluded with the placing of wreaths at the monument.
At the end of the service, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I delivered his pontifical and paternal greetings from the balcony of the pontifical residence to the Lebanese-Armenian community, scout troops and fanfares assembled in the courtyard.
This news was originally published on the Website of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Antelias - Lebanon.