Read Mode

A Pilgrimage to St. Thaddeus Monastery



A pilgrimage to St. Thaddeus Apostle Monastery in northwestern Iran is held every year during the month of July for three days. Saint Thaddeus was the first apostle to preach Christianity, and St. Santukhd, the first female martyr of Christianity, is dedicated to the remembrance of their martyrdoms.

In Iran, the Armenian population is represented by the Iranian-Armenians living in Armenia, while followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church make up the bearer of this element.

Pilgrims gather in Tabriz before their journey to the monastery begins. Each year, pilgrims trek 700 kilometres round the clock from Yerevan to the monastery. As part of the commemoration ceremony, there are special liturgies, processions, prayers, and fasting. The celebration culminates in a Holy Mass which is followed by Holy Communion.

There are specific times reserved for traditional Armenian folk performances and they also serve Armenian food during these special times. The pilgrimage is hailed as the premier social and cultural occasion of the year. During the festival, because tents are placed close to one another, there is a greater sense of community among attendees.

There is a long history of pilgrimages in this monastery dating back over nineteen centuries. Although it was prohibited for Armenians to participate in the pilgrimage during the era of Soviet power in Armenia.

The bearers of the element preserved cultural memories of a pilgrimage and passed them down to the next generation of groups. It was only after Armenia's independence in the 1990s that pilgrims from Armenia began to make the pilgrimage once again.

A visit to the monastery is sure to thrill you if you are keen on walking long distances. Though the significance of this pilgrimage has undeniably dwindled over the years, the locals who have been entrusted with the heritage are still very much in love with it, ever so hopeful that it will regain its popularity once again.


Edit
Discussion
History