On December 22, 2025, the solemn ceremony of consecration and dedication of the newly constructed St. George Armenian Catholic Church took place in Venyov, Russian Federation. The service was led by the Ordinary Archbishop, His Excellency Kevork Noradounguian, and co-celebrated by the pastor of the Armenian Catholic community of Venyov, Rev. Fr. Sedrak Khitaryan.

This long-awaited, joyful, and profoundly prayerful ceremony was also attended by the Patriarchal Vicar of the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Beirut, His Excellency Bishop Grigor Badishah; the pastor of the Armenian Catholic community of Moscow and surrounding regions, Most Rev. Fr. Petros Yesayan; the pastor of Sochi, Rev. Fr. Hovhannes Melikyan; member of the Salesian Order, Most Rev. Fr. Petros Petrosyan, as well as Latin-rite clergy serving in Russia: Rev. Fr. Dariusz Harasimowicz, Rev. Fr. Alexander Nemchinov, Rev. Fr. Ezekiel Ayala, Rev. Fr. Jozef Gunczaga, Rev. Fr. Alexander Kraevsky, Rev. Fr. Vladimir Kabak, Most Rev. Fr. Zbigniew Krol, and sisters of the congregations.

Following the liturgical order of the Armenian Church, the doors of the newly built church were first opened with the beautiful, supplicatory prayers of Opening of the Doors. Then, accompanied by psalms and hymns, the washing and anointing of the Holy Altar with sacred myrrh were performed. This was followed by the ritual anointing of the walls of the Main Altar and the four walls of the temple, thereby sanctifying and dedicating the sanctuary to God as a gathering place and house of prayer for the Mystical Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Within its walls, the Mystical Body of the Lord—the spiritual Church—becomes visible through the faithful brothers and sisters assembled alongside their spiritual pastors. The first Holy and Immortal Mass was then celebrated upon the newly anointed Holy Altar by the Ordinary Archbishop, co-celebrated by the Armenian clergy serving in the Armenian Catholic communities of Russia.

In his sermon, Archbishop Kevork Noradounguian spoke with visible emotion and joy:

“In today’s Gospel, we see that more than five thousand people had gathered around the Lord, listening to His sweet words, completely losing track of time and forgetting to eat. The disciples asked Jesus to dismiss the crowd so they could go to find food. Jesus, however, multiplied a few pieces of bread and fish through prayer—to such an extent that there was leftover. The people realized that Jesus is the Bread that recharges and enriches the human soul. Yet, some only had material bread on their minds, thinking that Jesus would henceforth care for their daily bread and they would no longer need to work. They even wanted to make Him king to make their lives easier. When Jesus realized this, He withdrew from them to the mountain to pray alone. They began to look for Jesus but could not find Him. Later, He returned and began to speak to them about the bread that grants eternal life. It is fascinating: when we misunderstand Jesus, we lose Him, but when we perceive Him correctly, we receive the Word of eternal life—the Bread that fills our souls.

Our Armenian faithful from Turtskh who live here in Venyov, during the difficult circumstances of life, ascend the mountain like Jesus; they rely on the heights, which is the Church, where inside a deep silence the Word of Life lies hidden, the Mystery of God, the consolation of God, and the explanation for their dark moments. Today, we celebrate the opening of this beautiful church. Let us reflect together: what comes first, the church of stone or the church of the soul? Try to answer. If we build a church of stone, are you sure it will be filled with believers? How many churches stand empty today? To prevent that, one  must first build the church of the soul, which you have already done. This church in Venyov is the second Armenian Catholic church built within the territory of Russia. It is a rare occurrence for a church to be constructed entirely through the efforts of the local community, without bringing in outside funds. Therefore, when the church of the soul is built before the church of stone, it will endure forever and bear abundant fruit.

I want to express my gratitude to all our faithful, devoted children—from the eldest to the youngest—as well as to all those individuals who, through their humble deeds and service, are faithfully dedicated to the Church and make it glorious. I would also like to thank all the priests who have labored diligently for you—baptizing your children, preparing them, and bringing them closer to First Holy Communion, the Fountain of Eternal Life. My thanks also go to the Papal Nuncio in Russia and to the President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Russia, His Excellency Archbishop Paolo Pezzi. Thank you also to those who did everything possible so that the Armenian Catholic Parish of Venyov could obtain legal registration in Russia.

Furthermore, my profound gratitude goes to the great Russian nation, which has welcomed us with open arms upon its soil and grants official status within its homeland. May God abundantly bless and protect this hospitable nation and our entire Armenian Catholic community living in this great country. You are very strong in your character and faith; always maintain your law-abiding, hardworking, and Christian countenance.”

Following the Holy Mass, Fr. Vladimir Kabak read the congratulatory letter from the Apostolic Nuncio to Russia, Archbishop Giovanni D’Aniello, addressed to the Armenian Catholic community of Venyov, in which the Nuncio expressed his regrets for his absence and shared his joy on the occasion of the consecration of the new church:

“On this luminous and grace-filled day, the Armenian community dedicates a new church. By its consecration, you are not only giving life to the sanctuary, but you are making it the center of your community’s spiritual life. Here you will administer the Holy Sacraments, here your ancient liturgical melodies will echo, here new generations will learn the language of their fathers’ faith, broken hearts will find comfort here, parched souls will find a spring of living water, and here the light of the Gospel will illuminate every person who comes to pray… May your wounds find balm here, may this be a place where differences enrich and do not divide… May this temple become Noah’s Ark resting on Mount Ararat—a sign of new hope, a proclamation of a renewed life, a place where God makes a covenant with His people. May the Holy Virgin Mary and St. George intercede for your community to draw closer to our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The construction work for the St. George Armenian Catholic Church of Venyov began back in 2015 and concluded in 2025, funded entirely by the monetary donations of the community’s benefactors, which testifies to their great faith and dedication. The entire Venyov community—all the faithful—contributed to the construction and embellishment of the church, with substantial donations provided particularly by the following benefactors: Jules Avetisyan, Hovsep Karakhanyan, the late Petre Okroyan, Poghos Okroyan, Arsen Albertyan, Hamlet Khitaryan, Masis Simonyan, and Poghos Ohanyan.

The Armenian Catholic community of Venyov consists of nearly five hundred members, who migrated to Venyov primarily from the village of Turtskh in Javakhk. A parish center has also been constructed on the first floor of the newly built church. Once fully furnished, it will house pastoral offices to serve religious education, the youth association, and other pastoral ministries.

Let us pray for the spiritual progress and holiness of the Venyov community, which reached a historic milestone with the construction and dedication of St. George Church.

Fr. Hovsep Galstyan

Chancellery of the Armenian Catholic Ordinariate

December 23, 2025