Blessing of the Holy Muron

At Holy Etchmiadzin on Sunday, September 27, 2015, His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, blessed the Holy Muron—the holy oil employed in all the church’s sacramental anointing services—in a special ceremony at the outdoor Altar of St. Drtad. On the altar assisting His Holiness was the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian. His Holiness Aram I, the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, sent as his official representative Archbishop Moushegh Martirosyan. His Holiness Karekin II called the blessed muron the “Muron of Victory.” He said, “This chrism, blessed in this revered year commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and with the intercessory prayers of our sanctified Martyrs, is hereby proclaimed to be the Chrism of Victory, with the belief that it shall seal the souls of our faithful with the courageous and undefeatable spirit of our Holy Martyrs.” Bishops from Armenian dioceses across the world traveled to Holy Etchmiadzin on this occasion. Haig Didizian of London served as the godfather of the Holy Muron.