On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, the festive Holy Mass of the Vigil was celebrated in Gyumri by His Excellency Archbishop Kevork Noradounguian, Ordinary of the Armenian Catholic Church in Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern Europe. The service was co-celebrated by the Dean of the Armenian Catholics of Armenia, Rev. Fr. Nerses Galstyan, and Fr. Hovsep Galstyan. The Holy Mass was attended by members of the Armenian Catholic community of Gyumri, the religious sisters of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception and their pupils, and the staffs of Armenian Caritas and Caritas Aregak. The Armenian Catholic community was also honored by the presence of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Mr. Zareh Sinanyan.

In accordance with the Armenian rite, the Holy Mass was preceded by the Evening Service, during which passages from the Holy Scripture were read. In his Christmas sermon, the Ordinary invited the attendees to reflect upon the new reality that the Holy Nativity of Jesus opens before a Christian. He highlighted the Gospel episodes where the Archangel Gabriel is sent first to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and then to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to announce the beginning of a new life through divine intervention. The Angel declared the names of the infants—John and Jesus—names that signify a new horizon and a new life.

The Archbishop stated:

“The Angel tells Zechariah: ‘Your prayers have been heard; you shall have a son, and you shall name him John. But because you doubted, you will be struck silent until the day he is born.’ When John the Baptist was born, his relatives thought the child would be named Zechariah after his father, according to ancient custom. However, Zechariah wrote down that the child’s name must be ‘John.’ In this way, God gave a new name, breaking tradition because the event was exceptional and unrepeatable. The Angel of the Lord gave the child a name that transcended all conventional frameworks; the Angel gave a name to a new reality. In the same manner, Gabriel appeared to Mary and delivered the extraordinary tidings that she would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit and that she would name the child—not Joseph, as custom might dictate, but Jesus—a name for a new, unprecedented, strange, and unexpected reality, which means ‘The Lord Saves.’ Joseph learned that something extraordinary had happened to Mary, and being a righteous man, yet acting as a child of the New Covenant, he intended to divorce her quietly. But that night, an angel said to him: ‘Do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'”

The Archbishop invited the faithful to note that the angel spoke to Zechariah and Mary during moments of fear, announcing a miracle that was completely unexpected to them. We all experience such moments of fear in our lives, yet God provides signs, life processes unfold, we hear angelic voices, and we feel the interventions of the Holy Spirit—all announcing the beginning of a new reality.

“In these sorrowful days, when we hear frightening news and live in a state of tension and anxiety, we feel as though we have lost our way. But pay close attention so that you may hear the voice of the Angel Gabriel. Do not disregard this voice. We are witnessing the mysterious, unexpected, and sometimes even incomprehensible work of the Holy Spirit visible in the life of a nation and a community; these are the glimmers of an awakening and a rebirth. We hear voices and see troubling images that rob our hearts of peace, but be careful not to misinterpret them. In hard moments of our lives, God enters precisely through our wounds to shed light into our hearts—much like a surgeon who, in order to heal us, cuts open the wound and reaches in to cure us. In that same way, light enters our lives through our wounds. Therefore, beloved, do not avoid listening to the whispers of God. They may be terrifying at first, but God does all this for our own good and for the good of our nation. These turbulent moments are for our benefit.”

The Ordinary reminded the attendees that one of Jesus’ titles is the “Prince of Peace.” “How could the Prince of Peace cause fear to Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph? No, He could not, of course. Instead, He encouraged them, saying, ‘Do not be afraid,’ because the new reality is not meant to cause fear, but to help us find inner peace,” the Archbishop said. During divine intervention, we are often gripped by fear first, followed by peace once we accept the Lord’s will in our lives. The Archbishop called upon the faithful not to fear God’s interventions, but to accept them with great joy and to overcome all personal fears alongside the Prince of Peace.

Following the Holy Mass, the ritual of the blessing of candles was performed. Afterwards, the “Our Lady of Armenia” choir delivered a festive Christmas concert under the direction of the Meritorious Artist of the Republic of Armenia, Robert Mlkeyan. Following the concert, all attendees were invited to a reception and a warm fellowship.

May the unutterable light from the humble manger of the Christ Child penetrate the hearts of us all, so that we may remain steadfast in the presence of the Living Son of God in our lives.

Fr. Hovsep Galstyan

Chancellery of the Armenian Catholic Ordinariate

December 25, 2025