On Thursday, December 2^nd, 2021, His Holiness presided over the meeting of the Lay Council of the Central Committee co-chaired by Stepan Der Bedrossian and Krikor Mahseredjian.

His Holiness addressed the opening remarks and briefed on the administrative, financial, construction and other activities and projects undertaken in the previous months, stressing that the Holy See of Cilicia continued its mission despite the challenges caused by the Pandemic.

The members of the Council widely discussed matters related to the Armenian Housing project in Fanar, the apartment blocks for families in Bourdj Hamoud, social services for disadvantaged, as well as the financing of educational projects by the Catholicosate. The council also expressed appreciation for the financial support of the Catholicosate, under the auspices of His Holiness, as well as to its benefactors in social services. In this regard, and following the session on the financial situation of the Catholicosate, the members deemed important the contribution of the prelacies and benefactors to overcome the current hardship. His Holiness Aram I commended the generous donations of Mr. and Mrs. Alecco and Ani Bezikians to the Lebanese Armenian Community.

The directors and boards members of the Birds’ Nest Orphanage, the Armenian Sanitorium Hospital of Azounieh, the Armenological Department, and the Khatcher Kalousdian Pedagogical department also presented their reports.