PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: info@armenianorthodoxchurch.org
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PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

More than 2500 Young Armenian Pilgrims Commemorate the 94th Anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide at the Desert of Der Zor (Syria)

YOU ARE BAPTIZED BY THE MEMORY OF OUR MARTYRS
LET THOSE MEMORIES GUIDE YOU
ARAM I

On Friday 17 April 2009, His Holiness Aram I left Aleppo for Der Zor. The
desert of Der Zor is the grave for a large number of Armenian victims of the
Genocide by Turkey. Pilgrimage to Der Zor was the first big event to mark
2009 as the year of Armenian Youth. The pilgrimage was organized by the
Diocese in Syria and the Diocese of Lebanon.

2500 Young pilgrims, high school and university students and members of
youth movements and organizations, who had arrived from different parts of
the world, gathered at the outskirts of the town of Der Zor. They began
their several kilometres walk to the Genocide Memorial, remembering the
journey of their great grandparents, their persecution, torture and rape.

The same evening, at 7 o’clock, His Holiness Aram I joined the young
pilgrims. Commemorations began with the blessing of bread and salt at the
entrance of the church and a special requiem for the dead. Later, Bishop
Shahan Sarkissian, Prelate of Aleppo, and Bishop Kegham Khatcherian, Prelate
of Lebanon, jointly lead a candlelight Vesper service.

On Saturday, 18 April 2009, the pilgrims went to the second station of the
pilgrimage, the bank of the Euphrates River, in which the bodies of many
victims had been washed away. After a brief silence the young pilgrims threw
flowers into the river. At the end of this solemn moment, Catholicos Aram I
addressed the youth from a nearby bridge. He said: "You should continue to
challenge the conscience of the world by demanding restorative justice until
Turkey takes responsibility for the Armenian Genocide. You should direct
your just claims by advocating Human Rights, using political and diplomatic
channels and not through violence." He then advised them to empower
themselves through education and by choosing professions that would enable
them for the pursuit of their just cause. This pilgrimage and 2009 as the
year for Armenian Youth should become the driving force of this journey.

The third stop in the pilgrimage was the Holy Resurrection Church in
Margadeh, which was the collective tomb for the remains of the victims that
had been recovered. Rev. Dr. Paul Haydostian, President of the Armenian
University Haigazian in Beirut, addressed the pilgrims. He said: "We are
standing on this special place where the remains of our ancestors have been
dissolved into the desert sand. Most of you have names that were also the
names given to the persons who died here. Let us use this special moment to
choose education and knowledge as the instrument to keep alive the memory of
our martyrs and continue to advocate for our just cause".

The pilgrimage ended by His Holiness Aram I sending the young pilgrims back
to their countries with the message: "You are the custodians of the Armenian
cause and should, therefore, work tirelessly for the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide by Turkey."

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Photos:
http://www.ArmenianOrtho doxChurch.org/v04/doc/Photos/Photos378.htm
http:// os379.htm
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.