Rhode Island Armenians preparing for pontifical visit of Catholicos Aram I
PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The Rhode Island Armenian community will joyfully welcome His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, beginning on Friday, October 4, 2024 at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church, 402 Broadway, Providence, the starting point of his pontifical visit to the United States scheduled from October 4-23. After Rhode Island, His Holiness will continue on to visit 10 additional parishes in New England and the Midwest.
Catholicos Aram I was consecrated Catholicos on July 1, 1995, after serving as Prelate of the Armenian Orthodox community in Lebanon for 15 years. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1947, he studied at the Armenian Theological Seminary in Antelias, Lebanon, and the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey (Geneva), Switzerland. He received his M.Div. from the Near East School of Theology and his Ph.D. from Fordham University in New York. His Holiness also holds several honorary degrees. His major areas of specialization are philosophy, systematic theology and Near Eastern church history.
A true scholar and teacher, His Holiness continues to lecture on Armenian Studies and theological and ecumenical subjects at the seminary in Antelias and at Haigazian University in Beirut. He has also given numerous public lectures in universities and academic and cultural centers throughout the world. In addition to hundreds of articles and reviews in Armenian, English and French, His Holiness has published more than 30 books, some of them translated into different languages.
The vision and commitment of His Holiness have made the Catholicosate of Cilicia of the Armenian Church a living center of reflection, dialogue and action — a center that is prepared to face the challenges of the future earnestly and valiantly. He has developed close personal relations with world church leaders and with the heads of states and political organizations on an international level. With his command of 16 languages, His Holiness endures to facilitate peace amongst all in the Middle East.
At 6 p.m. on Friday, October 4, Homenetmen scouts and children from the church community, along with area government officials, parishioners and representative clergy, will greet and welcome His Holiness at Sts. Vartanantz Church. The Catholicos’ visit will begin with the traditional blessing of the bread and salt and releasing of the doves at the church’s entrance followed by the hrashapar (welcoming) service as he enters the sanctuary. His Holiness will then deliver a brief message, after which all those present will have the opportunity to greet Catholicos Aram I and receive his blessing.
On Sunday, October 6 at 10 a.m., His Holiness will celebrate a pontifical divine liturgy at Sts. Vartanantz Church, during which he will deliver his sermon in both English and Armenian. Significantly, this will be the first time in the 84-year history of the Sts. Vartanantz Church community that a pontifical divine liturgy will be celebrated in its full pageantry. Additionally, Sts. Vartanantz Church is the only New England church where a pontifical divine liturgy will be held. That evening beginning at 6 p.m., a banquet in Catholicos Aram I’s honor will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, RI.
Following his visit to Rhode Island, Catholicos Aram I will travel to Indian Orchard, Worcester, Whitinsville, Watertown and North Andover in Massachusetts, Granite City, Glenview and Waukegan in Illinois, Racine, Wisconsin and Dearborn, Michigan.
Additionally, a concert in His Holiness’ honor, organized by the Eastern U.S. Prelacy and New England Prelacy churches, will be held on Sunday, October 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Museum & Library, 33 Marrett Rd., Lexington, MA. The concert will feature musicians from the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, with Sargis Karapetyan on violin and Rev. Fr. Bedros Shetilian serving as conductor. Tickets may be purchased online.
