On November 2, 2023, the General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches, Pastor Peter Noteboom, paid a visit to Holy Trinity Armenian Church at the invitation of Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian, Vicar of the Armenian Church Diocese of Canada and Parish Priest. Pastor Noteboom participated in the morning service and joined the prayer for peace held at the church.
During their meeting, Fr. Zargarian updated the General Secretary about the situation of over 100,000 Armenians who were forced to leave their ancestral land, Artsakh, and found refuge in Armenia. The centuries-old Armenian churches, monuments, and places of worship in Artsakh are now at risk of destruction as their rightful owners were subjected to ethnic cleansing within a matter of days after almost 10 months of being under blockade.
It was confirmed that Fr. Zargarian will present this important subject to the representatives of the sister churches during the upcoming Governing Board Meeting of the Canadian Council of Churches to be held from November 15 to 17, 2023. It is the mission of church to actively support those in need, including refugees, through prayers and humanitarian aid.
Let us hope and pray that the collective efforts of the sister churches will serve as a source of light and hope for the families who have lost everything they ever had.