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His Eminence and Local Clergy Join Youth for an Informal Dialogue
Close to 100 Armenian youths attended “An Informal Talk, Dialogue: Envisioning a Youthful Church” at the Montreal Armenian community centre on the evening of February 26, 2008.
Université de Montréal Armenian Student Association President, Ara Hagopian hosted the special event, which was held with the aim of further strengthening the relationship between the Armenian Church and Armenian youth, as well as developing a better understanding of what younger generations expect from the church.
Speaking on behalf of Armenian adolescents and young adults, Mher Kupelian, a Université de Montréal student, presented the youth’s perspective in a recap of a survey interview he conducted with 18 Armenian students. The interview included questions such as “do you believe that the church is still a valid establishment” and “has the church stopped being the source to quench the spiritual needs of the youth.”
Before Rev. Fr. Karnig Koyounian taking the podium, Christine Amirian presented a short biography of the pastor and Nazig Soulian presented Archbishop Hagopian’s biography.
In turn, Rev. Fr. Karnig Koyounian, Montreal’s Sourp Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church Pastor, presented his replies and suggestions with regards to the questions posed in the survey, noting that Christian education within our homes, schools and churches needed to be reinforced in order to help lay the foundation for spirituality.
The dialogue continued with His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of Canada, who expressed His worries with regards to the new challenges the church faces, but also presented the many changes the Armenian Church has already adopted in order to reflect the current needs of its people.
“We have already taken steps in changing many things such as conventional traditions. However, as members of a greater Christian family, there are fundamental traditions that we cannot change,” His Eminence explained.
This special informal dialogue was organized by the Sourp Hagop Christian Education Committee and the Université de Montréal Armenian Student Association, in collaboration with the McGill University Armenian Student Association.
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