St. Illuminator’s Cathedral held a Town Hall meeting on Sunday, Oct. 9, in preparation for the launching of its first youth program. The meeting hosted participants from 15 to 22, allowing youth to share their ideas with the organizers and tell what kind of programs and activities they would find the most engaging.
The meeting was led by Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor; Armen Morian, Esq., Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Archdeacon Shant Kazanjian, its Vice Chairman, who outlined the potential program for Armenian youth and explained the ideas that set this project in motion. After an opening prayer, Fr. Mesrob read excerpts from His Holiness Catholicos Aram I’s writing. “We must invest in our youth” for a prosperous future for our culture and our faith, the Catholicos has written. Mr. Morian spoke about the importance of the church as a welcoming home for every Armenian, regardless of each person’s religious and spiritual journeys.
The young participants then shared their thoughts and ideas. Many of the participants had been long-time attendants of the church. As they volunteered one after the other, a potential outline of the program emerged: it could be both educational and entertaining, including trips and parties, as well as partnering with other organizations that play key roles in the development of the Armenian youth.