Liturgy of Saint Gregory the Illuminator

The Liturgy of Saint Gregory the Illuminator is the religious rite used by both the Armenian Apostolic and Armenian Catholic Churches. Armenia, considered the "first Christian nation," was converted to Christianity by St. Gregory the Illuminator around 300 AD.12

The Armenian rite is patterned after the Antiochene Liturgy of St. James and the Byzantine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. It is typically divided into five parts: preparation prayers in the sacristy and sanctuary, preparation of the gifts, the liturgy of the catechumens, and the liturgy of the faithful, concluding with Communion. Unlike Byzantine churches, Armenian churches generally do not feature icons and use a curtain instead of an iconostasis to conceal the priest and altar during parts of the service.1