A backyard camp was organized in the Armenian Catholic community of Arevik village, Shirak province, from July 23 to 27, 2026. The camp was organized by the Armenian Catholic Ordinariate and “Arev-Van” NGO, under the spiritual leadership of the local parish priest, Rev. Fr. Narek Tadevosyan, with the dedicated efforts of Mrs. Satenik Vanoyan and a team of volunteers, as well as with the support of the Akhouryan Municipality. The opening ceremony was led and blessed by H. E. Archbishop Kevork Noradounguian, in the presence of Fr. Narek Tadevosyan, Fr. Mikayel Domburyan, and the head of the Akhuryan community, Mr. Zaven Manukyan.

The camp’s daily agenda engaged children in the afternoon and evening, from 4:00 PM to 9:30 PM.

The schedule included:

– Masterclasses in handicrafts, eco-creativity, and painting,
– Discussions and talks on proper behavior during emergencies,
– Conversations on psychological topics that help children better understand their identity and build healthy interpersonal relationships,
– A lesson on first aid,
– An intellectual game: “What? Where? When?”.

During these days, the children worked with Sousanna Mkrtchyan (Director of the Gyumri Aesthetic Center), Heghine Galoyan (pedagogue-psychologist), V. Mkhitaryan (sergeant of the Fire and Rescue Service), Armen Petrosyan (President of the “KhoranArd” NGO), Sima Nazaretyan (nurse), and volunteer Milena Tadevosyan.

The children also took part in moments of reflection on biblical passages, joint prayers, and the Holy Mass, which was celebrated by Fr. Mikayel Domburyan. He offered thanks to God for these wonderful days and for the volunteers who strove to combine the children’s summer recreation with developing their art, self-awareness, and social skills.

The project is funded by the French organization l’Œuvre d’Orient and benefactor Mr. Michel Davoudian.

Fr. Hovsep Galstyan
Chancellery of the Ordinariate of Armenian Catholics
July 31, 2026

More photos can be found on the Facebook page․