His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, will visit the United States later this fall to preside over three significant events – the meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council, the 110th Anniversary celebration of the AGBU and the official opening of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary. 

The primates of the Armenian Church dioceses of North America—Archbishop Khajag Barsamian (Eastern U.S.), Archbishop Hovnan Derderian (Western U.S.), and Bishop Abgar Hovakimian (Canada), along with the president of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), Berge Setrakian, have invited His Holiness Karekin II to convene the next meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council in New York from October 31 to November 3, the first time in history that it will assemble outside Armenia.

Under the theme “From Holy Etchmiadzin to the World,” the Supreme Spiritual Council will address the topic, “Energizing the Mission of the Armenian Church. 

Separately, His Holiness will lead a joint convening of the Supreme Spiritual Council, the three executive councils of the North American dioceses, and the executive board of the AGBU. This historic discussion among the four executive councils will focus on “Renewing Outreach to the Armenians of North America.”

While in New York, His Holiness will preside over the following special events:

• Friday, October 28:  the premiere performance of HOKIS at New York City Center, featuring young talents from AGBU's Nork Children's Center, AGBU’s longest standing Etchmiadzin partnership program over the last two decades, and songwriters and performers from the Tumo Centers for Creative Technologies in Yerevan;
• Saturday, October 29: the 89th General Assembly of the AGBU at The Harvard Club, followed by a Gala dinner at Jazz at the Lincoln Center later that evening, to mark the organization’s 110th anniversary;
• Sunday, October 30: a Divine Liturgy honoring the 17th anniversary of His Holiness’ enthronement as Catholicos of All Armenians at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral; a banquet in honor of His Holiness at Haik and Alice Kavookjian Auditorium of the Diocesan Center
• Saturday, November 12: the official opening of the new campus of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in Armonk, NY: the consecration of the seminary's St. Hagop Chapel, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Karekin I Theological Center