The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Participates in the Opening of the Church Exhibition “Testimony of the Spiritual Heritage” at Our Lady of Bzommar Monastery
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
On the occasion of the 255th anniversary of the construction of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Bzommar, a Church exhibition entitled “Testimony of the Spiritual Heritage” was inaugurated during a ceremony held on the evening of August 12, 2026. The exhibition presents a selection of artifacts from the Monastery’s museum, offering visitors a glimpse into the spiritual, artistic, and historical richness preserved by this landmark across generations.
The ceremony was held under the patronage of His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Catholic Family. The event was attended by Lebanese Minister of Tourism Ms. Laura Lahoud El-Khazen, as well as Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian is the President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family.
The gathering was also attended by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, who headed a delegation from the Council that included Professor Laure Abi Khalil, Coordinator of the Dialogue, Human Dignity and Social Cohesion Program, and the Journalist Lea Maamary, Coordinator of Media and Church Relations. Attendees were also official, national, political, figures, along with experts from archaeological institutions, media outlets, school principals, and the Armenian Community.
In accordance with Armenian traditions, the guests were welcomed with the presentation of “bread and salt” before the ceremony began. The event included many speeches for the occasion.
