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Water Blessing Ceremony Held across Prelacy Churches
Under the Auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of Canada, the water blessing ceremony took place at Sourp Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church on August 10, 2008, and all Prelacy churches across Canada.
Following Divine Liturgy, which was delivered by Archpriest Armen Ishkhanian, Prelate Hagopian accompanied by Archbishop Souren Kataroyan, anointed the water with Holy Chrism, symbolically infusing it with the Holy Spirit and the presence of Christ. The anointed water was then distributed to the faithful.
The Holy Chrism was consecrated by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos, at the Armenian Catholicosate in Antelias, Lebanon on June 7, 2008. This rite has taken place every seven years uninterruptedly since St. Gregory the Illuminator first baptized King Drtad in 301 AD.
Holy Chrism is mostly composed of olive oil and forty-eight aromas and flowers, as well as previously blessed Chrism, which has been passed on from generation to generation for more than 1700 years.
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