One Heart in Christ

Between Spirituality, Culture, and Faith: Armenian Catholic Youth from Around the World Gather in Lebanon

His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian: “You are not only the future of the Church, but also its present… Be People of Initiative”

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

Amidst the daily challenges that Lebanon is facing due to the crises affecting the country, the nation continues to affirm that the will to live is the strongest and that the new generation has a great determination to build a better future.

Hence, Lebanon hosted one of the most significant youth gatherings of the Armenian Catholic Church, with the blessing 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.

Filled with hope and held under the theme “One Heart in Christ (WAYD 2026),” the event was organized by the Armenian Catholic Youth Union in Lebanon (ACYU), and took place from July 29 to August 3, 2026, between the city of Anjar and the Monastery of Our Lady of Bzommar.

The gathering brought together spirituality, culture, and faith in an experience that reflected Lebanon’s historic and spiritual vocation as a land of encounter and dialogue. More than 250 young men and women from six countries participated, bringing with them a rich cultural diversity while remaining united in one faith.

The event also provided a space for strengthening the values of love, peace, and fraternity. It was far more than a youth event; it was a message of hope that demonstrates Lebanon’s enduring ability to bring together members of the Church from across the world. The gathering sought to create a safe environment where participants built friendships, exchanged experiences, deepened their sense of Church belonging, and strengthened the role of youth in serving both the Church and society.

The program featured a rich variety of spiritual, cultural, and humanitarian activities. It began with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and daily Prayers, which formed the spiritual foundation of the gathering. Attendees also participated in lectures and interactive workshops centered on three main themes: A Heart Rooted in God, A Heart Open to Others, and A Heart Reconciled with Itself. This is in addition to times of personal reflection and silence, as well as community service initiatives that embody the spirit of giving and solidarity.

On the cultural level, participants enjoyed artistic and heritage evenings celebrating the richness of Armenian identity, while encouraging them to discover their history and traditions through engaging and interactive experiences that strengthened their sense of belonging.

The program also included pilgrimage and tourism visits to some of Lebanon’s most renowned spiritual landmarks, including the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, the Monastery of Saint Charbel in Annaya, and the Monastery of Our Lady of Bzommar, the spiritual heart of the Armenian Catholic Church. There, participants undertook a unique journey of faith by following in the footsteps of Saint Ignatius Maloyan in the very place where he lived and studied. This visit comes one year after his canonization and serves as a powerful reminder of his witness to holiness and of the deeply rooted faith of the Armenian Catholic Church. Participants also visited the historic city of Byblos, renowned for its rich cultural and human heritage.

The gathering culminated with a Solemn Celebratory Divine Liturgy presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at Our Lady of Bzommar Monastery. The Liturgy was attended by Bishops, Priests, Monks, and Nuns, in the presence of official and media personalities.

In his Homily, His Beatitude noted that although the participants came from different countries, cultures, and life experiences, they had gathered around one shared identity: the identity of Christ. He said they would return to their Churches carrying a message of hope at a time when the Middle East continues to suffer under the weight of ongoing crises. He said: "The final word does not belong to suffering or division, but to hope, love, and fraternity." He also encouraged youth to make this experience the starting point of a renewed way of life, rather than allowing it to remain a passing memory that fades when the gathering ends.

Addressing the youth, he said: "You are not only the future of the Church, but also its present. Return to your Dioceses, Parishes, and Communities as people of initiative. Be the voice that brings people together when others sow division, the hand that reaches out when others step back, and the hope that shines when despair begins to enter hearts."

Through this gathering, Lebanon once again affirmed its enduring vocation as a land of mission, a beacon of dialogue, and a meeting place of cultures, where members of the Church from different nations come together in faith, hope, and love.