A SPECIAL COLLECTION FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

In my message to Diocesan leaders earlier this week, I asked our faithful to pray for the victims of the destructive earthquake that rocked the near east on Monday. The disaster has affected many towns and cities with deep historical connections to the Armenian people; has damaged a number of Armenian churches in the region; and has brought pain and sorrow to many of our brothers and sisters. May our Lord have mercy on them all.

Over the past days I have been in further contact with our church leaders in the disaster zone, notably His Beatitude Archbishop Sahak II Mashalian, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, and Bishop Armash Nalbandian, the Primate of Damascus. They are both working diligently to bring aid and comfort to our people affected by the earthquake, and would welcome support from our communities across the world.

Accordingly, I am directing our parishes to hold special collections on the next two Sundays, February 12 and 19, in order to send aid to help ameliorate the suffering. All donations should be sent to the Diocesan Center by February 24; from there, they will be distributed equally to the Armenian Patriarchate under Patriarch Sahak, and the Armenian Diocese of Damascus under Bishop Armash, so they can utilize the aid directly where our people need it.

Individual donations can also be made on the Diocese’s secure online server; please select “Earthquake Special Collection” from the dropdown menu.

In the meantime, please continue to offer prayers for the suffering, especially for our brothers and sisters in the disaster region, alongside those in our homeland of Armenia and Artsakh.

Prayerfully,

Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan
Primate