A message from the Primate: Helping the Armenian Community of Syria

My blessings and greetings to you all. This message is to inform you of a directive issued by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin calling on all dioceses to initiate efforts for Syrian relief. As fighting in Syria continues, the local Armenian community has been beset by increasing difficulties—including heightened threats to safety and financial stability. 

The Armenian community of Homs and many Armenian families living in Aleppo and Damascus have fled their homes to find refuge with relatives. Local Armenian institutions have been struggling to continue operations. 

Bishop Armash Nalbandian, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Damascus, informed Holy Etchmiadzin that a Syrian-Armenian emergency aid organization has been formed to provide refugees with housing and medical assistance, and to meet other immediate needs of the community. In addition, the aid organization supports local churches, schools, and cultural institutions, which strive to preserve the historic Armenian presence in Syria.

We are asking all our parishes to contribute to this relief effort. Individuals and parishes can make checks out to the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (please write “Syrian Relief” in the memo). All funds collected should be sent to the Diocesan Center (630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016) no later than Monday, October 1.

Individuals can also CONTRIBUTE NOW through our Diocesan website. (Please note: In the lower part of the online information entry form, select the button “In Memory of,” and type “Syrian Relief” in the memo bar that appears.)

All the proceeds collected will go to the relief effort, to be distributed through the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Above all, we ask everyone to include the people of Syria in your prayers, and to ask our Lord to bring peace to the region.

With prayers,

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian

Primate

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian

Primate

Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America

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