Holy Armenian Church, Cheltenham, took part in the 2023 Armenian Language Council, a mid-Jan. online meeting. The Armenian Mirror-Spectator reported the story.

The Armenian Language Council is a new initiative of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church, making this virtual gathering the group’s firsr. Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan and interim Director of Ministries Fr. Hratch Sargsyan led the session.

The itinerary included discussion of the challenges Armenian parishes face with language programs.

The pandemic disrupted many instructional outreaches, a situation hindered by the interruption of coursework designed to train teachers.

A solution was proposed: Mimic the tactics of established English as Second Language (ESL) instruction in other academic settings for Armenians nationwide.

That initiative began with a survey of existing Armenian parish schools to gauge and understand current situations with a sharper geographic focus.

From there, the group theorized, a committee could then address the particulars of curriculum and deployment of resources.

During the virtual meeting, council members, Fr. Sargsyan, and the Primate spoke about the value of parish Armenian education programs.

“We want our children to be raised as proud Armenians, who love Armenian language, know our history, and take strength from our rich cultural and religious heritage,” said Fr. Mesrop.

More on this effort is at the Armenian Mirror-Spectator.