“This is our sacred land, our Motherland, there is no “enclave” logic here, there is no thought or desire to surrender to hostile encroachment.” A prayer was sung in the Church of the Virgin Mary in Voskepar
The priests and monks who arrived in Tavush from 4 corners of the world completed their mission in the Church of the Holy Virgin of Voskepar, which silently guards the border.
Rabbis and abeghas gathered in Tavush, not only from the Mother See and the dioceses of Armenia, but also from the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, the Armenian Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Constantinople. Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the Diocese of Tavush, sent a word of greeting and soul on the occasion of this mission, saying: “It is extremely important for us to be at Voskepar today. I want us to declare again that this is our sacred country, this is the sacred land, this is our Motherland, there is no “enclave” logic here,
there is no thought or desire to surrender to any hostile encroachment. You came to Armenia from all over the world in the most difficult and complicated times of our lives. All that wrapped in your hearts, frozen, you have made this great spiritual journey, together, heart to heart, head to head, eye to eye, hands firmly held, to ponder, to think, to pray, to share a meal of love together, to reaffirm the commitment to the covenant of our Lord. towards the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and towards our national vision. I am particularly grateful that you have chosen to cross this long border-guarding road of the Tavush world, starting from Ijevan to the depths of Noyemberyan. And for you to see with your eyes and feel with your heart the persistence and will of this people over the years,
that regardless of all kinds of conditions, our people have shown and are showing, made a vow not to leave the Motherland, made a vow not to leave its sanctuaries, its graves and its heritage, and with blood bought this sacred land, where more blood has been shed than water. Today we are in one of the most mysterious places in the life of our region and the Armenian people. It is extremely important for us to be here today. I want us to declare, re-declare and declare 1000 times that this is our sacred country, the sacred soil, our Motherland, there is no “enclave” logic here, there is no thought or desire to surrender to any hostile encroachment. This is one of the touchstones of our time. This temple is a 7th century temple. It was brought back in the late 1980s with a great feat. This is the proof of our existence. Police officers were kidnapped and killed here.
Thousands of our compatriots were sacrificed here. This Holy Temple has become the vigilant watchman of our border zone. Our enemies are a little above, only a few meters away. Wishing you all welcome from our Jerusalem See, Cilicia See, and Patriarchate of Constantinople, I especially want to say a warm welcome to our beloved Father Sahak, who arrived today from captured Artsakh. The core of all of our thoughts today is Artsakh. The Holy Father, in a way, brought our people with him. The people who are saving our common honor today. A special greeting to Father Sahak, through him, on behalf of all of us, to our dear patriotic brothers and sisters living in Artsakh and fighting in Artsakh. From this 7th-century temple of the Holy Virgin of Voskepar, may our greetings and love go to Gandzasar, from Gandzasar to Amaras, Ghazanchetsots, and to all our captive heritage.”