Armenian Diocese’s Clergy and Staff Summary Meeting |
On June 30, 2015, a semi-annual summary meeting of the Armenian Diocese’s clergy and Hayartun Center’s staff was held in the Calouste Gulbenkian Hall of the center under the leadership of the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan. The meeting began with the Lord’s Prayer and blessings from the Primate. The agenda consisted of the following issues: 1. Semi-annual report on the activities of the diocese’s departments and the clergy 2. Recommendations for the next six months The Directors one by one briefed on the activities undertaken in the past six months by their departments. The speakers highlighted the activity of the “Saint Movses Khorenatsi” Preschool and the progress of the Legal Affairs and Cooperation Department as regards the Armenian churches restitution issue. The topic of media coverage was also discussed. The Youth Department briefed on their activities regarding the preservation of historic and cultural heritage and the issue of involving young generation in different projects of the Diocese. The Social Department continues to take care of socially vulnerable families, people with disabilities and lonely elderly people. The speakers were pleased to note that the construction of the Saint George Church approaches the completion, the construction work of the Alexander Mantashev Educational, Cultural and Youth Center in Batumi is still ongoing and the acquisition of Hovhannes Tumanyan’s house in Tbilisi was successful. The Fathers serving in Tbilisi according to the hierarchy reported on their activities, including the weekly visits to places of confinement, the support to former prisoners, the participation of the congregation in religious events and pilgrimages. The activity of the Cultural Department and the Hayartun Center with its artistic classes and youth events is a “business card” of the Diocese. The Primate of the Armenian Diocese blessed the participants and praised the works undertaken by the clergy and diocese’s staff and gave future recommendations. His Grace encouraged them to be devoted to their mission, to preserve the Armenian religious and cultural life in Georgia, to continue friendly Christian relationships with the Georgian Orthodox Church and to participate in Georgia’s social and cultural life. The participants of the meeting also discussed the future Blessing of the Holy Chrism to be held on September 27 in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the pilgrimage to be organized by the Diocese. |