On October 26, 2026, fifty children from the catechism classes of four communities in Ashotsk, accompanied by their catechists and led by the parish priest Fr. Hovsep Galstyan, made a pilgrimage to the Armenian Catholic churches of Metsavan and Tashir. The pilgrimage was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, marking the conclusion of the month dedicated to the Prayer of the Holy Rosary.

In Tashir, the pilgrims were warmly received by Very Rev. Fr. Nerses Vrd. Galstyan, the parish priest of the Armenian Catholic communities of Tashir and the Dean of Armenian Catholics in Armenia. In Veri Vank (Upper Monastery) in Metsavan, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, Fr. Hovsep celebrated the Holy Mass for the intentions of the catechism children, the Legionaries of Mary accompanying them, and the Armenian Catholic community of Metsavan. In his homily, he emphasized how the Metsavan community has preserved its Armenian Catholic identity, and how Veri Vank, which has become a pilgrimage site for many, was maintained through the great spiritual efforts of the devoted parish priest and benefactors. Fr. Hovsep entrusted the children’s pilgrimage to the Holy Virgin, invoking her tender maternal protection and asking for divine graces for strengthening faith and love of the catechism class children and the local community. After the Holy Mass, they recited the Holy Rosary together, meditating on the Joyful Mysteries.

Following the prayer, a lunch and relaxing entertainment were organized for the children in the forest near Metsavan. The pilgrimage concluded at the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God in Tashir with the prayer and singing of the Litany of Loreto together with Very Rev. Fr. Nerses Vrd. Galstyan, followed by his blessing and a walk in Tashir park.

The pilgrimage was made possible through the generous support of the Ordinariate’s benefactors (USCCB and L’Œuvre d’Orient) and the children’s parents.

Fr. Hovsep Galstyan

Chancery of the Ordinariate of Armenian Catholics

October 27, 2026