ETCHMIADZIN - A new house of prayer -- the Church of St. Anna, in the village of Malishka, Diocese of Syounik of the Armenian Apostolic Church -- was consecrated Nov. 4 by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and bishops.

The benefactor of the newly built church is the Armenian businessman Mr. Ara Abrahamian, President of the "Union of Armenians of Russia," who was born in Malishka and presently lives in Russia. The foundation of the church was blessed three years ago. The architect of the basalt church is Mr. Artsroun Galikian. The church is decorated with magnificent frescoes and icons of Christian saints painted by three artists from Etchmiadzin.

Hundreds of people had come to Malishka to attend the ceremony of consecration. Among the guests were Mr. Armen Khachatrian, Speaker of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia; Mr. Albert Bazeyan, the Mayor of Yerevan; the delegation of the "Union of Armenians of Russia," who had arrived in Armenia on the occasion of the festive ceremony. Among the delegation were Mr. Arthur Chilingarov, the Vice-Speaker of the State Duma (Parliament) of the Russian Federation; Mr. Andranik Mihranian, a famous politician; numerous Russian guests. The presence of the latter was the witness of the centuries-old friendship between the Russian and the Armenian peoples, and dedicated to that friendship was the spring-monument built in the courtyard.

Expressing his joy on the occasion of seeing a new church built on the eve of the 1700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia, His Holiness gave his blessing and expressed his appreciation to the benefactor and to Bishop Sepouh Chouldjian, and asked for God's love and support to keep the centuries-old Armenian-Russian friendship unshaken and stable. His Holiness presented to the Church of St. Anna a dove used as a dispenser of the Holy Chrism as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Following the ceremony of consecration, children were baptized in the church. Afterwards trees were planted in the courtyard. The planting of trees was organized by an Armenian-American organization, the Armenia Tree Project.