President's Congratulatory Message on 300th Anniversary of Mekhitarist Congregation Establishment on Saint Lazarus Island of Venice

Dear Compatriots,

I congratulate you on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of a landmark historical event – Mekhitarist Congregation’s establishment on Saint Lazarus Island, Venice.

Three centuries ago, Mekhitar Sebastatsi, the giant of the Armenian spiritual thought, founded an institution that would become a world-renowned spiritual, educational, literary and scientific center.

Since its inception in 1701, the Mekhitarist Congregation has played an indispensable role in the cause of preserving the Armenian identity to become a prominent representation of the Armenian people in the world, with its rich cultural heritage and spiritual atmosphere attracting world-renowned Armenian and foreign intellectuals.

Located at the heart of Europe, the Mekhitarist Congregation bridged the Armenian and Western cultures. The Congregation has made an exclusive contribution to the development of Armenian studies: throughout many centuries our spiritual fathers have been doing huge work in the divinely illuminated cells of the Congregation’s Mother Monastery as evidenced by those general and topical scientific dictionaries, translations, as well as other works related to religion, history, linguistics, natural sciences and economics.

Noteworthy is that while combining the scientific, cultural and spiritual heritage with amazing harmony and perfection, the Congregation offers a unique environment of a museum. The manuscripts and records kept at the Congregation’s monastic compound are not just the evidence of the wealth of the Armenian cultural heritage; they are unique samples of global civilization.

History is reflected in time. All the way through its centuries-old activity, the Mekhitarist Congregation has provided the best proof of it as a means of communication between the national and the universal.

Bowing down to the selfless dedication of the Mekhitarist Congregation to the noble cause of preserving and disseminating our spiritual values, I would like to pay tribute to our spiritual fathers who managed to create educational centers, promote the Armenian language, culture and education among the younger generation.

Once again, I am proudly congratulating all of us on this emblematic jubilee, wishing the members of the Congregation long and fruitful years of creative efforts aimed at implementing Mekhitar Sebastatsi’s sacred message: “Everything for Armenia and Homeland.”