Cilician Catholicos meets with Armenian community of Montreal

PanARMENIAN.Net - His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, began his Canada Pontifical visit in Montreal with a meeting with the Armenian community at Montreal’s Sourp Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church on the evening of June 17, 2010.

A procession of clergy members from across Canada, the Sourp Hagop and Sourp Kevork Church choir and Homenetmen GAMK scouts, as well as members of Church Boards of Trustees and Prelacy Councils and representatives of sister organizations greeted His Holiness at the entrance of the Prelacy before heading to Sourp Hagop Church for the official meeting with the community.

His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of Canada, extended his gratitude with his welcoming words to His Holiness for blessing the Armenian community of Canada with His presence and noted that that Pontiff will be participate at the Religious Leaders Summit of the G8 Nations to be held in Winnipeg from June 21-23, 2010.

In His message at the church, His Holiness emphasized to all the faithful present that the main role of the Armenian Church is to serve its people in every way possible, just as Jesus Christ did. “Our Lord didn’t come to this Earth to be served, but to serve. Our objective is to serve, that’s what our Church stands for and will continue to stand as it has for centuries.”

His Holiness also urged the parishioners to strive to keep and reinforce our values, especially our spiritual, cultural and national ones, stating that they are as important as our daily bread. He continued by emphasizing that by keeping our values, we ensure that our Diaspora continues to grow strong, along with our nation, Armenia, in a united fashion.

The evening ended with church parishioners personally greeting His Holiness Aram I and the traditional “kissing of the ring,” reported the press service of the Armenian Prelacy of Canada.