According to the Armenian Church calendar, on Sunday, April 10, the Palm Sunday Feast of the Armenian Apostolic Churches, (Dzağgazart), that is, the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem is celebrated.
The Patriarch of the Armenians of Turkey, Sahak II, presided over the Holy Mass (Surp Badarak) at the Samatya Surp Kevork Church, and preached in Armenian and Turkish.
On this special day when the Great Lent period ended and the Great Week entered, the altar curtains were opened and the communion (hagortutyun) was distributed.
In the Holy Mass, presented by the priest of the church, Father Zohrab Civanyan, the chief deacon of the church, Haçik Sarılı, deacons, senior readers and readers served the sacrament.
High Priest Zadig Babikyan, Samatya Church Foundation President Yesai Demir, members of the board of directors, some church foundation administrators and members of the Sahakyan Choir under the direction of their conductor Sevan Agoşyan sang the hymns at the ceremony in which a large number of believers were present.
After the Holy Mass offering, His Beatitude the Patriarch preached in Armenian and Turkish.
After the sermons, Raquiem (Hokehankisd) prayers were read for all those who sleep in the Lord. Then, as a cortege, they went out to the churchyard. The ceremony ended with the blessing of His Beatitude the Patriarch and the distribution of olive branches to the believers.
Patriarch Sahak II presided over the “Tırınpatsek” prayers in the afternoon. Priests, fathers, deacons, readers and believers of the patriarchate were present at the ceremony, after starting by turning to the four directions of the world with “Antasdan” prayers in the church garden, they went to the church door and knocked 3 times with the hymn “Open to us, my God” (patz mez der). With the opening of the doors, hymns were sung and all entered inside. In the church, His Beatitude the Patriarch and all the clergy went up to the altar, and 13 children were also brought up to the altar. First, His Beatitude the Patriarch gave a speech in Armenian and Turkish.
After the speech, Patriarch Sahak II traditionally blessed the children, then the Lord’s prayer was read with the children, and the ceremony concluded with the children’s call as “Hosanna” together, representing the Lord Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.
