wfn.org | May 30 Ecumenical Celebration of Armenian Christianity

[carolf@ncccusa.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
Contact: Chris Zakian, 212-686-0710; or NCC News, 212-870-2227

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Catholic, Protestant & Orthodox Christians
will Honor World's 1st Christian Nation-Armenia-
at Washington's National Catholic Shrine on May 30, 2001
Leaders from America's Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christian 
communities will gather at Washington's Catholic Basilica of the National 
Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Wednesday, May 30, to honor a unique 
milestone in the history of the Christian religion.
An ecumenical prayer service will mark the 1700th anniversary of Armenia's 
conversion to Christianity.  That event took place in A.D. 301, and 
distinguished the Armenians as the world's first Christian nation-preceding 
the Emperor Constantine's "Edict of Milan" by a dozen years.  The world's 7 
million Armenian Apostolic Christians are celebrating the anniversary in 
the Republic of Armenia and throughout the world.
The milestone has inspired two of America's leading Christian 
organizations-the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National 
Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.-to join the Armenian Church 
of America in sponsoring the May 30 event-aptly titled "Walking Together in 
the Light of Our Lord."
The May 30 service was announced this month in a letter signed by Cardinal 
William H. Keeler, the Archbishop of Baltimore (representing the National 
Conference of Catholic Bishops); the Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General 
Secretary of the National Council of Churches; and Archbishop Khajag 
Barsamian, Primate of the New York-based Eastern Diocese of the Armenian 
Church of America.
The letter announced that His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos (pontiff) 
of the worldwide Armenian Church, would be the honored guest at the May 30 
service.  Catholicos Karekin (elected to that office in 1999) will be in 
the capital as part of his first pontifical visit to his North American 
flock.
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, will host the 
service.  Ambassador Andrew Young, President of the National Council of 
Churches, and Cardinal Keeler will be the main speakers.
The service will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30.  The Shrine is 
located at the corner of Fourth Street and Michigan Avenue, N.E. in 
Washington, D.C.  A lecture on the history of the Armenian Church will 
precede the service in the Shrine's Crypt Church at 4:00 p.m.  The service 
is open to the public. Media are invited to attend.
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