Dispatches from Lebanon: Der Mesrob's Sojourn Home

Summer Bible camp of the Armenian Evangelical Church

From July 22 to August 6, Der Mesrob Lakissian of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York visited Lebanon for the first time in four years, to see and spend time with his extended family in his hometown of Anjar. Notwithstanding the personal nature of his visit, Der Mesrob nevertheless kept his schedule full with calls of duty and obligation.

On Thursday, July 29, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, received Der Mesrob for a private audience at Vehapar’s summer residence at the monastery of the Holy Virgin in Bikfaya. His Holiness and Der Mesrob discussed the sad and difficult situation facing our Armenian brothers and sisters in Lebanon. Afterward, Der Mesrob briefed Vehapar about our activities at St. Illuminator’s. Vehapar expressed his deep appreciation and warm support and asked Der Hayr to bring back with him Vehapar’s blessing and fatherly greetings to the St. Illuminator’s family.

Shoushanian Sunday School of St. Paul’s Armenian Apostolic Church

The following week, back in Anjar, Der Mesrob visited with the students of the summer camp of the Shoushanian Sunday School of St. Paul’s Armenian Apostolic Church and the summer Bible camp of the Armenian Evangelical Church. On behalf of St. Illuminator’s, he brought sponsorship to both. Der Hayr also met and distributed $1,500 of humanitarian assistance to the 15 families in dire need with members of the Armenian Relief Society’s “Akhtamar” Chapter. These good works were made possible by the kindness and generosity of Viken Najarian, the Kazanjian Family, Zarmair Setrakian, Vahan and Nevair Babajanian, the Simonyan and Manukian Families, Rositta Boiatchian and Sarkis Jeknavorian—all parishioners and friends of St. Illuminator’s.

Der Mesrob and Very Rev. Fr. Vahan Berberian at the Armenian Sanatorium of Azounieh

Der Mesrob also met with Very Rev. Fr. Vahan Berberian at the Armenian Sanatorium of Azounieh and members of the brotherhood of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias. Der Hayr paid a special, personal visit to Mrs. Sossy Hadjian, the mother of our hero the late Dn. Kevork Hadjian, who was martyred during the Artsakh War. Finally, Der Mesrob made time to participate in services at St. Paul’s.