The Closing Ceremony of the Bible Study Sessions In the presence of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I

In the presence of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Christian Education Department of the Catholicosate held the closing ceremony of its weekly Bible study sessions on June 17, 2025, at the Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator. These weekly gatherings have served as a space for spiritual reflection, prayer, hymn recitation, and community fellowship through various social activities.

The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks from the Director of the Department, V. Rev. Fr. Stepanos Pashayan, who offered thanks to God for a fruitful year. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to His Holiness for entrusting him with the leadership of the department and acknowledged the dedicated contributions of V. Rev. Fr. Oshin Tchualertanian, Assistant Director, and Marlen Evingulian, Administrator.

In his address, His Holiness praised the faithful for their consistent participation and commended the department for its steadfast commitment. He emphasized the foundational role of Christian education in Armenian family life and underlined the critical responsibility of raising Armenian children with strong spiritual grounding. He also highlighted the importance of preserving both church and national traditions—particularly in the Diaspora—as vital to sustaining Armenian identity, generational continuity, and core spiritual values. Finally, he commended the department for its successful efforts over the year.

The ceremony concluded with His Holiness imparting his blessing to the department’s leadership and all those in attendance.

This news was originally published on the Website of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Antelias.