THE YOUTH DEPARTMENT OF THE CATHOLICOSATE HONOURS THE ARMENIAN GRADUATES OF ALL SCHOOLS IN LEBANON

On the evening of 1 July 2009, more than sixty young women and men gathered at the Cilicia Museum to take part in a celebration organized in their honour. The event was jointly organized by the Youth Department, the Armenian Church University Students’ Association (ACUSA), and their spiritual advisors the young priests Sahak and Mesrob.

The President of the Youth Committee welcomed the graduates and said that His Holiness Aram I’s declaration of 2009 as the Youth Year gave the gathering a special meaning. Recalling the words of the Catholicos, he continued: “Our Church is committed to empowering the youth so that we build sustainable communities in Lebanon, in Armenia and in the Diaspora.”

After the welcome, those present watched a DVD, telling the story of the Armenian youth participation in the ecumenical movement. At the end of the show, His Holiness Aram I concluded the evening with the following message: “Our church headquarters in Antelias belongs to our people. It is through the dynamic presence of our youth that our church will be revitalized locally and globally. We are actively present on the international scene through the ecumenical movement and other fora. We could achieve all these because we believed that the Church is not an institution but a mission. A mission to be carried out by every member of the Church especially the youth The active presence of our youth in the church will further strengthen our contribution to the ecumenical movement whether in Geneva or in North America.”

After the blessings, the graduates received books and DVDs on the faith and spirituality of the Armenian Church as gifts.

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