On September 5, 2026, a meeting of the ACYA (Armenian Catholic Youth Association) Ashotsk Youth Group took place in Ghazanchi. The youth event was dedicated to the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (which the Church celebrates on September 8) and the 105th anniversary of the worldwide organization of the Legion of Mary (September 7), bringing together young people from Ghazanchi, Bavra, and Sizavet. The parish priest congratulated the youth on the occasion of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and invited everyone to pray together to Our Lady, with the intention of enriching the spiritual life of the Ashotsk communities, especially young people, under her maternal guidance.

Through slideshow presentations, the young shared about the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the prayer of the Rosary, the apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Miraculous Medal. Fr. Hovsep Galstyan, pastor of Ashotsk, spoke about the 105-year history and spiritual heritage of the Legion of Mary.

Many of the attending young people are Legionaries of Mary, participating in various volunteer activities as apostles and soldiers of Mary, fulfilling the mission of the laity. Together with Fr. Hovsep, they strive to place greater emphasis on apostolic work in their activities and, where possible, work through the 105-year experience of the Legion of Mary as regularly functioning Legion branches through weekly meetings and apostolic work. Although this is challenging, requiring constant effort and dedication from the youth, it forms an apostolic mindset and lasting values. Through the action of the Holy Spirit and under the protection of the Blessed Virgin, these efforts will surely yield beautiful fruits in renewing the spiritual character of the Ashotsk communities, as evidenced by the Legion’s work in these communities in recent years. The apostolic mindset and efforts of the Legion, in turn, help establish the ACYA—the Armenian Catholic Youth Association, which was founded last year with a clear strategy and vision, and whose development a group of devoted youth has lovingly undertaken.

In the second part of the meeting, the youth played an intellectual game, then watched and discussed a documentary film about St. Carlo Acutis produced by the Net for God organization, which was recently translated into Armenian through the combined efforts of the ACYA and Radio Mariam.

Fr. Hovsep Galstyan

Chancery of the Ordinariate for Armenian Catholics

September 7, 2026

Feast of the Foundation of the Legion of Mary