The Diocese
Posted: 09/30/2026
Armenia is more than our ancestral homeland; it is our history, our identity, and the future of generations to come. For every Armenian, the free and independent existence of this biblical land holds profound significance.
The journey toward independence is also a remembrance of those who gave their lives for the homeland. Among the most solemn dates of remembrance is September 27, 2020, the day the devastating 44-Day War began.
As has become customary, ahead of the anniversary, students, teachers, and parents of the “Little Angels” Saturday School of the Western Diocese’s St. Leon (Ghevontiants) Cathedral gathered at the church carrying flowers to pay homage to the martyrs who gave their lives for the homeland—those who, like flowers, never had the chance to bloom.
In the church sanctuary, the Cathedral's pastor Fr. Khajag Shahbazyan conveyed the blessing and message of the Primate, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian. The students, accompanied by their teachers and volunteers, then proceeded to the cross stone (khatchkar) on the church grounds dedicated to the memory of the martyrs of the 44-Day War. Together with Rev. Fr. Nzhdeh Keshishyan and school principal Deacon Hovhannes Gumruyan, the “Little Angels” recited the Lord’s Prayer. Following the Requiem Service, they placed flowers before the khatchkar in memory of the fallen.
In the church courtyard, pride and sorrow seemed to walk side by side. For some, the moment brought tears; for others, a heavy-hearted sorrow, and for all, a silent prayer that the holy martyrs would forever remain in our prayers.
For the school, the day became more than an occasion of remembrance—it was a lesson in love and responsibility toward the homeland. The students returned to their classrooms carrying with them the meaning of prayer and the understanding that the memory of our martyrs lives on through the faith, patriotism, sense of responsibility, and gratitude of the new generation.
Lyuba Avagyan
Teacher
