No occasion could have been more fitting to welcome His Holiness Catholicos Aram I than the Thanksgiving banquet at the Rainbow Room of the Rockefeller Center in New York. The pontifical visit came to fill the absence of long, eventful seven years, since the last time the Catholicos had visited the Eastern United States in 2016. A lot happened in the meantime, and not all of it was good. In a message full of unvarnished truths about the challenges facing the Armenian nation both in the homeland and the Diaspora, His Holiness also reaffirmed his leadership and guidance so cherished and needed by this flock in these times of trials and tribulations, and yes, he also brought joy to the gathering by recognizing the hard work and devotion of community members. As the photos below show, it was truly an opportunity for giving thanks for all the blessings that we have, including the wisdom to address the challenges before us.
