On May 18, 2025, H.E. Kevork Archbishop Noradounguian presided over the enchanting celebration of the First Holy Communion in the Armenian Catholic parish of Heshtia, in Georgia. He served the Holy Mass, concelebrated by Rev. Fr. Anton Antonyan, the local parish priest. 34 children received their First Holy Communion, each of them being previously properly prepared, wearing white garments, with prayers and promises on their innocent leaps and the spiritual joy in their unblemished hearts.

The Ordinary Archbishop, while addressing those present, firstly reminded about the biblical prefigure of the Bread of Life, the heavenly Manna, which God granted to the Israelites. He referred to the hard life of the Israelites in the slavery in Egypt. The children knew that story. The Archbishop went on to pose also other questions on the seven Sacraments of salvation, and received satisfying answers with great exultation. He mainly concentrated on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, urging the children to confess frequently to be able to receive Holy Eucharist. We must always receive the Bread of Life in holy state:

“I am convinced, that all of you will remain devoted to Church after receiving your First Holy Communion. Let this joy of today’s beautiful event accompany you all your life and remind you to be faithful to your love towards God… Today this white garment is to remind you to keep your souls and hearts pure until the day of Coming of Our Lord. The obligation of keeping this white garment unstained is also yours, dear parents, make your children stronger, to make them capable to love Christ and the Church in these hard times of ours, when the evil one wants to distract all of us”.

The Ordinary Archbishop thanked the faithful people of Heshtia, who care for the church so devotedly. Heshtia is one of the communities, where the living of faith was preserved with great devotion even in communistic times, being characteristic of the people of Javakhk.

Fr. Hovsep Galstyan

Secretariat of the Ordinariate of Armenian Catholics

May 19, 2025