Last year, Patriarch Sahak II. In the days following the enthronement ceremony, he visited the churches in Istanbul and the “Hıraşapar” ceremonies took place under his leadership. After the unexpected developments following the pandemic process, it was not possible to make the first official visit to the Kınalıada Surp Krikor Lusavorich Church. After the positive developments in the pandemic process, the opportunity to make this visit became possible, and on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, Patriarch Sahak II made his first official visit to Kınalıada and stepped into the Surp Krikor Illuminator Church with the “Hraşapar” ceremony.
On Tuesday evening, at 20:30, Patriarch Sahak II, Deputy Patriarch Senior Father Krikor Damadyan, Islands Religious Officer Priest Harutyun Damadyan, Surp Krikor Lusavoriç Church Foundation Board Members under the chairmanship of Levon Şadyan and Gazturman Gayan President Ari Çolak moved towards the church with cortege from the summer residence of the Patriarch. Meanwhile, the church bells began to ring. At the entrance of the church, two children presented a bouquet to His Beatitude the Patriarch on behalf of the Kınalıada Armenian Community. While the bells were ringing, His Beatitude the Patriarch blessed the bread and salt. Later, the cortege consisting of Nersesyan Choir members started to move towards the church, and Sahak II stepped into the church to the accompaniment of the “Hrashapar Asdvadz” hymn.
After the prayers of thanksgiving, Priest Harutyun Damadyan, Priest of the Islands, made a speech and greeted Patriarch Sahak II with the most heartfelt feelings. By adapting a sentence from the Bible to the meaning of the day, Father Harutyun said: “Blessed is the one who has a memory in the Armenian Church of Surp Krikor the Illuminator.” He underlined that His Beautitude Patriarch Sahak II. was one of the first fruits of the spiritual studies based on Kinaliada during the reign of the late Patriarch Shnorhk Kalustyan and the spiritual shepherd days of the late Patriarch Mesrob II. They were even among the first students to participate in these studies. Surp Krikor Lusavoric Church, It was not a strange environment for His Beautitude Patriarch Sahak II, for he had preached in this church as a youth, consecrated as a deacon in this church, presented the first Liturgy in this church, and had spoken many sermons in this church as bishop. Finally, with this visit, he was entering the same church as the Patriarch of the Armenians of Turkey. At the end of his speech, Priest Harutyun expressed his sincere wishes to His Beatitude the Patriarch on behalf of the Armenian community and official institutions in the Islands.
His Beatitude the Patriarch first thanked him for this magnificent welcome and stated that these special words addressed to him were an inspiration to him. He said that this visit was possible after the effect of the pandemic process had decreased relatively, and he praised God. Later, speaking about the church, he said:
“The church is a ship that carries us from one place to another. This church can unite us with our past and transform us into family. Everyone who cares about the spirit and purpose of the church, its spiritual culture, accepts it as a mother. So, thanks to the church, we become brothers.”
Later, he commemorated the years of his youth at the Kınalıada Church and said that, that period was felt as a blessing in his spiritual career. With the blessing of Patriarch Şnorhk and the leadership of Priest Mesrob, he started to learn Armenian for the first time in this church. Therefore, being in the Surp Krikor the Illuminator Church was making him emotional. In this context, he stated that he would like to be in Kınalıada more and breathe this special atmosphere of the Istanbul Armenian Community.
Finally, Patriarch Sahak II commemorated Priest Harutyun Damadyan, the clergyman of the church, and expressed his satisfaction for using his youthful energy and desire for the continuity of the church. At the same time, he commemorated Gazturman Gayan and reminded that they wish to continue to serve the children of our congregation despite being negatively affected by the pandemic process.
His Beatitude the Patriarch blessed those present at the church after his sermon. He then proceeded to the foundation board room, accompanied by the hymn “Gentanarar Asdvadz”. The ceremony ended with the last prayer read here.
After the ceremony, a small reception was held by the church foundation’s board of directors. On this occasion, His Beatitude the Patriarch had the opportunity to meet with the administrators and the public and have a friendly conversation with them.
