Armenian Catholic youth from 9 countries unite in prayer and service in Lebanon

From Anjar, the Lebanese town known among Armenians as “Little Armenia,” the voices of young Armenian Catholics rose this week “with one heart in Christ” (Acts 4:32).

The gathering, held from July 28 to Aug. 3, brought together participants from Europe, the Middle East, and North America. More than simply a youth event, it offered a space for prayer, service, fellowship, and a renewed understanding of what Christian witness means in an increasingly complex world.

Catholicos-Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian of the Armenian Catholic Church presided over a festive Mass on Sunday at the Monastery of Our Lady of Bzommar. In his homily, Minassian noted that the participants came from different countries and dioceses, bringing with them diverse cultures, experiences, and hopes, yet they had gathered under the banner of “Christ the Savior.”

The patriarch said the people of the Middle East live amid recurring crises and suffering while continuing to long for peace, freedom, and dignity. The young people’s gathering, he said, sent a clear message: The final word belongs not to pain and division but to hope, love, and fraternity.

Minassian stressed that the gathering should not remain merely a cherished memory but should become a “spark” that continues to burn in the participants’ hearts, inspiring them to draw closer to others, build peace, and serve with love.

He urged the young people to take initiative in their churches and communities, to offer words that unite when others are divided, and to extend a helping hand when others withdraw. Faith, he emphasized, is not simply an inheritance from the past but a calling that must continually be renewed.

Concluding his homily, the patriarch explained that the gathering sought to entrust a new generation with the deposit of faith that the Church had preserved through adversity. It is now their responsibility, he said, to live that faith and pass it on to those who come after them.

Fadi Beshkenji, general coordinator of the Armenian Catholic Youth Union of Lebanon, which organized the event, told ACI MENA that participants came from France, Luxembourg, Italy, Canada, Iraq, Jordan, Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria.

The Syrian delegations included young people from Aleppo, the country’s northeastern Jazira region, Damascus, and Kessab in the Latakia countryside.

Beshkenji explained that the program was organized around three principal areas. Its spiritual component included talks on the gathering’s theme, drawn from Acts 4:32, as well as reflections on the participants’ relationships with God, others, and themselves.

The service and humanitarian component included a visit to a home for the elderly, activities with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and service and beautification projects at the Armenian Catholic church and complex in Anjar.

The gathering also included pilgrimages to the Shrine of St. Charbel in Annaya, the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, and the Monastery of Our Lady of Bzommar, where participants visited the monastery’s museum and viewed its historical collection, including items associated with St. Gregory the Illuminator and St. Ignatius Maloyan.

A cultural evening also gave each delegation an opportunity to present the heritage of its country.

Beshkenji said Lebanon was chosen to host the gathering because it is a “country of message” and should remain a source of hope for young people in Lebanon, the Middle East, and around the world.

He encouraged participants to trust that Christ accompanies them and to use their talents in the service of their churches and communities.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Source: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/armenian-catholic-youth-from-9-countries-unite-in-prayer-and-service-in-lebanon