On the morning of Thursday, April 20, 2023, a commemorative event dedicated to the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide took place in the main courtyard of the Armenian Catholic Mesrobian High School, which was attended by the students of the high school and the technical college, as well as the teaching staffs and the superintendents led by the Principal of the school, Mr. Gregoire Kaloust. The students were baring the flags of Armenia, Artsakh and Cilicia and holding banners commemorating the victims of the Genocide and the Armenian national demands. The responsible spiritual fathers of the St. Savior Church were also present under the leadership of Reverend Father Mesrob Topalian.
The opening speech of the event was delivered by Zaven Der Ghugassian, a 12th grade student of Mesrobian College. He expressed the righteous indignation of the Armenian nation at the fact that the Genocide went unpunished, the condemnation of the Genocide, and most importantly, the will and resolution to always remember the martyrs, to remain faithful to their holy will and to stand up for all their undisputable rights.
Artistic performances were delivered by Christopher Mardirosian (5th grade, organ), Jacob Terzian, Alex Levonian, Jean-Pierre Vartanian, Nayiri Arnelian, Serly Moughalian, Maria-Jessica Khasholian (song and piano: ‘My brother and I’, ‘My native home’), Mary Ekmekjian (9th grade, recitation: ‘A handful of ashes’) and Nayiri Arnelian (7th grade, duduk).
In his speech, the Principal of Mesrobian College, Mr. Gregoire Kaloust, urged the participants to always keep the torch of demand burning until the complete re-establishment of justice, the fair compensation of the damages suffered by the Armenian people and the realization of all our unfulfilled desires. The Principal said that the Armenian people responded to Turkey's crime by surviving and will continue to live despite all difficulties, thanks to its unity, from Armenia to the farthest shores of the Diaspora.
Then the vicar of the St. Savior Church, Father Sahag Keshishian, spoke exhorting the participants to remain faithful to the testament of the martyrs and to live the Armenian national and Christian values in daily life through the Armenian language, writing and literature, as well as by keeping the Armenian family and the faith of St. Gregory the Illuminator. Then Father Sahag recited the ‘Bahbanich’ and blessed the roses. Students and teachers placed the flowers they had brought to school in front of the replica of the Dzidzernagapert memorial edifice erected in the Mesrobian main courtyard, in honor of 1.5 million Armenian martyrs. Later, the children of the Kindergarten and the nursery made a similar visit to the monument.
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Armenian Catholic Mesrobian High School