The L'Anse sentinel., 1915-10-09
.HEART OF ARMENIA
venerated Monastery in Midst Of
Strife.
EchmiadzIn. seat Of the Primate OF
the oreeorIan Armenian Church.
Just Now In Position Of the
Utmost Peril.

Swallowed up In the maeIstrom OF
the southern Caucasus. which 10 now
aflame with the strife Of the Turks and
the Russians. and near the meeting
point of Persia. Russia and Turkey. II
situated the most treasured and sacred
possession Of the Armenian nation. .
nation without country and with the
longest record of bravely borne suf-
fering Of any people. and this posses
sion Is the monastery and cathedral
of Echmiadxin, the holy see Of Arme-
nian Christians, the heart OF the Ar
menian nation. and the source OF that
strength which has held together and
guided the Armenians through centu-
ries of persecution. warfare and mas
sacre." begins q bulletin issued by the
National Geographic society.
"Echmiadzin Is the seat of the ca
tholicus. or primate. of the Gregorian
Armenian church. the sustaining force
and the inspiration Of people whose
lives and labors have been passed for
a thousand years under the shadow of
unnatural death. Nearly q thousand
years have gone by since the fall Of
the last definite political state of the
Armenians, yet their church has held
them in their national consciousness,
and has preserved in them their dis
tinguishing racial and social charac-
teristics. Almost every member Of the
Armenian nation belongs to tho Ar
menian church. which counts its mar
tyrs by the scores Of thousands. The
church is more than his religion to the
Armenian; It II his patriotism, his
hope for survival. and the banner un-
der which he has rallied for progress.
education and justice for his people.
Mount Ararat, where Noah landed.
lies Just to the south Of the venerable
Armenian SEQ. Here runs the Russo.
Turkish frontier. while few miles to
the southeast lies Persia. The mon
astery IL reared about three thousand
feet above the sea, 40 miles west of
Erivan. tho capital of the Russian gov
ernment in which It IL situated. This
Armenian Rome IL surrounded by mas
sive. gray mud walls, which inclose
the monastery. the cathedral and an
academy. The buildings are arranged
around q great quadrangle. in the GEN.
ter of which stands the cathedral of
st. Gregory the Illuminator, q church
of more ancient beginnings than even
far-famed Sancta Sophia Of .Constan-
tinople. 1t has been the bulwark of
Christianity against the barbarians Of
Asia since 302. and, though its fight
has been unusually severe, long and
heroic, little is known of Echmiadzin
among the peoples of the West.
Throughout the years during which
the Armenians have been divided be-
tween three more or less unfriendly
states, Russia, Persia and the Ottoman
empire. and during their centuries Of
still more bitter suffering before the
advent of Russia into the Caucasus,
the Armenians have turned to Ech-
miadzin for guidance and support in
all their troubles--and the history Of
this people generally impresses the
student as being just one trouble after
another with little justification for
hope. The ancient gray monastery
has been the religious. political and
cultural center Of the Armenian world
THE library Of Echmiadzin is a
treasure-store Of Armenian documents
and literature. and among its shelves
are kept some remarkable manuscripts
of the gospels. dating from the ninth
and tenth centuries. The monks main
tain q type foundry and . printing
press. and they have accomplished
great things for the education of their
people and for the development Of Ar
menian literature. The academy con.