Spiritual Support to Families Project Holds Training Forum at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

March 2015

With the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; the Christian Education Center (CEC) of the Mother See held a training forum from March 23 – 25 as part of the Spiritual Support to Families project. The forum was held in Tsakhkadzor with the the participation of clergy and the CEC regional representatives. The forum and project are supported by the WCC Round Table Charitable Foundation and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The participants were welcomed with opening remarks by His Grace Bishop Vardan Navasardyan, Director of the Christian Education Center (CEC); Mr. Garik Hayrapetyan, representative of the UN Population Fund in Armenia; and Mr. Karen Nazaryan, Director of the WCC Round Table Charitable Foundation.

During the training, Candidate of Science Mrs. Silva Petrosyan, Docent at the Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology of Yerevan State University (YSU); lectured on non-formal education and methods. His Grace Bishop Michael Ajapahyan, Primate of the Diocese of Shirak, made a presentation on the theme “Act and Responsibility”. Bishop Michael made particular reference to human behavior and consequences, the divine presence in families and spiritual values resulting from it, as well as to the issue of moral responsibility.

The forum participants attended an evening liturgy at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of Kecharis, following which they listened to the spiritual reflections of Rev. Fr. Karekin Hambardzumyan, CEC Deputy Director, on the materials that had been presented.

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