On Tuesday morning, April 27th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I, accompanied by Cilician brothers, visited the Birds’ Nest Orphanage, in Byblos, where the Armenian Genocide Orphans’ “Aram Bezikian” museum is located, and presided over the requiem service and wreath laying held in front of Maria Jacobson’s tomb.
Following the service, His Holiness Aram I offered his thoughts on the occasion stating that the aim of his visit, away from the spotlight and formalities, is to pay due respect to the memory of Maria Jacobson, the Danish missionary who founded Birds’ Nest during the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide to shelter Armenian orphans, and pray for her soul on behalf of thousands of orphans she had rescued and mothered. Finally, His Holiness reminded those present Jacobson’s message to the orphans “Do not forget your martyrs and their sacred will,” and stressed that her mission that carries on today will continue to persist.
