Holy See of Cilicia - Catholicosate in Antelias, Lebanon (1930-Present)

Catholicosate in Antelias, Lebanon (1930-Present)

Sahak II after leaving the premises of the Catholicosate in Sis stayed at various locations in Northern Syria and in Lebanon, running the affairs of the Catholicosate.

Tha ailing Catholicos who served until 1939 was aided in his later years by Papken I of Cilicia who served as Coadjutor for the Catholicos from 1931-1936. Both clergy decided to acquire a plot of land in Antelias, Lebanon, to build there the new center of the Catholicosate.

By donations from Simon and Mathilde Kayekjian, the property of the Catholicosate was purchased from the American Committee for Relief in the Near East. The latter charity which 1922-1928 had been running an Armenian orphanage on that same plot of land from 1922 to 1928. It was only natural that the Catholicosate would consider that spacious plot to build the new Catholicosate on.

The main cathedral called St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral was built through the donation of an unknown benefactor, whose name was kept a secret until his death according to his wishes. His name, Sarkis Kenadjian, was revealed only after his death.

A chapel in memory of the one and a half million Armenian martyrs was built, followed by a residence for the Catholicos (called Veharan) and a new Seminary building, constructed one after the other. The chapel was built after the donation of Armenian-Cypriot benefactor and art collector Vahram Utidjian, the son of the famous official translator for the British Apisoghom Utidjian. Catholicos Sahag II died in 1939. However the Museum is a much later development and built and inaugurated in 1997.

The complex of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia (in Antelias, Lebanon) includes:

• St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral built in 1940
• The Catholicosate Library (established 1932)
• "Cilicia" church museum (1997)
• Chapel dedicated to the memorial of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, built after the donation of Armenian-Cypriot Vahram Utidjian.
• The "Veharan" (Վեհարան), the location of the catholicos' residence.

The Catholicosate complex also includes the mausoleum / cemetery where a number of the heads of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia are buried. For a certain period, the Catholicosate also hosted an elementary Armenian school within the Catholicosate complex but the school was closed later on.

A theological seminary is located in the nearby mountains in Bikfaya that also serves as summer residence for the Catholicos and the clergy.