The Catholicos of All Armenians participated in the 93rd Congress of the Armenian General Benevolent Union
15.10.2024
On October 12, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; participated in the 93rd Congress of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) in New York (USA), during which he conveyed his Pontifical command to the participants.
His Holiness conveyed his blessings and high appreciation to Mr. Perch Sedrakyan, who through hard work, the spirit of national dedication, love and loyalty towards the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has worked zealously as the president of AGBU for twenty-two years, and from now on, with the new circumstance of honorary president, he must continue to bring his dedicated service to the Union and the Armenian people.
With special satisfaction, the Patriarch of Armenia also emphasized the numerous accomplishments of Mr. Vatche Manukyan, Chairman of the AGBU Board of Trustees, for the benefit of the nation and the benefit of the church and the great merit and skillful leadership in favor of the fruition of the mission of the Benefactor.
On the occasion of assuming the presidency of AGBU, the Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed his congratulations and blessing to Mr. Sam Simonyan. Referring to the significant contribution of Mr. Simonyan in the development of the education and technology sector of the new generation, His Holiness expressed confidence that the latter will lead the Armenian General Benevolent Union with the same zeal and great experience, will be faithful to the contributions of the Philanthropist, will brighten the centuries-old good reputation of the cherished institution with new achievements.
In his remarks, the Catholicos of All Armenians, referring to the patriotic and ecclesiastical activities of the AGBU, specifically mentioned: "At all times, especially in difficult and stormy situations for our people, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, according to the vision of the founders of the Union, has put its abilities at the service of the care of the needy children of our nation. Based on the needs of Armenians and native life, the Union has further pursued the development of scientific, educational, cultural, and health sectors, the strengthening of Diaspora-Armenia ties, and the preservation of the identity of our people.
The Patriarch of All Armenians emphasized that the Armenian General Benevolent Union made a great contribution to the progress of the homeland, both during the Soviet years and after the re-establishment of independent statehood, as well as implemented commendable programs for the construction and strengthening of the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh.
"In the conditions of the catastrophic events of the last period, the Union provided important support to the forcibly displaced Armenians from Artsakh. We note with appreciation that many initiatives of our Holy Apostolic Church and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin are also implemented thanks to the support of the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the loving commitments of its members", stated His Holiness, adding that with the support of the Union, thousands of children discover their abilities and talents in Youth Centers operating in Armenia, are educated and brought up in a patriotic spirit.
His Holiness Karekin II, also touched upon the security challenges facing the Armenian people with concern: "In such a situation, the disunity and division in the national life are worrying, which are an obstacle to the consolidation of the national potential of the motherland, the normal development of Armenia-Diaspora relations, confronting the most serious problems and preserving the national identity, which have always been at the core of the activities of the Armenian General Benevolent Union ."
In this regard, His Holiness expressed his confidence that the Armenian General Benevolent Union will continue to make efforts to overcome the existing challenges, providing useful services to our people and homeland around the world.
At the conclusion, the Armenian Patriarch blessed the members of the Union's Board of Trustees and central administration, the participants and attendees of the conference with a "Protective" prayer, wishing the support of the Almighty Lord to the Armenian General Benevolent Union on the way of its honorable mission and blessed service.
