IMPLEMENTATION OF "ARMENIAN BUILD ON FAITH" PROJECT STARTS
Noyan Tapan
Sept 05 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The solemn opening ceremony of
the "Catholicos Karekin II Work Project – Armenian Build on Faith"
construction project was held in the Yerevan "Armenia Marriott"
hotel on September 4, under the high chairmanship of Karekin II
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. As Noyan Tapan
was informed by the Information Services of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, after the Lord’s Prayer, His Holiness addressed his
blessing to volunteers, gathered in Armenia from different countries
of the world, who will implement their program.
His Holiness Patriarch touched upon the agreement signed between
the Armenian Apostolic Surb (Saint) Church and Habitat based on the
proposal got from the Habitat board and diocesan primates of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, expressing appreciation to the Habitat
International board, in the person of organization representative
doctor Kenneth Benson as well as Bob Edgar, the General Secretary
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, who
closely cooperate with dioceses, churchmen and communities of the
Armenian Church.
His Holiness expressed confidence that this cooperation between the
Church and Habitat will be continuous, and a greater number of flats
will be jointly built in Armenia for needy Armenian sons.
Within the framework of the "Catholicos Karekin II Work Project:
Armenian Build on Faith" construction project, Habitat Armenia
organization will complete this year construction of 37 houses which
will symbolize the Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church with
its 36 dioceses. Within the framework of the project, a series
of international volunteers will participate on September 4-9 in
the final stage of construction works of a 24-apartment building in
Gavar. On September 5, works will start in the city of Gavar where all
international and local volunteers will join to beneficiary families
of Armenian Habitat to bring to end construction of the latters’
flats. The house blessing and opening ceremony of the building will
take place on September 9.
"Catholicos Karekin II Work Project – Armenian Build on Faith"
construction program was created this April 20, based on a Memorandum
of Understanding signed at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin between
International Habitat and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Under
leadership of Karekin II, the Armenian Apostolic Church was for
the first time involved in the Habitat activity in 2005, within
the framework of the Jimmy Carter Work Project in the U.S. state
of Michigan. And the cooperation between the Armenian Apostolic
Church and International Habitat was stated just during that period
of time. The Armenian Habitat organization started functioning in
2000. It has built 209 houses by now, for more than 1000 needy people.