Dear Beloved Members of Our Parish Community,

As I prepare to return from our Diocesan delegation's mission in Armenia, my heart is filled with profound emotions and reflections that I am eager to share with you. Our seven-day journey to better understand the Artsakh refugee crisis has been an eye-opening experience, deeply connecting us to our Armenian roots and faith. We are grateful that this opportunity was provided under the auspices of His Eminence Abp. Hovnan Derderian.

I remember finding a baby bird who had fallen out of its nest. My friend and I, both of us all of 8 or 9 years-old, tried to care for the little thing, and eventually climbed the tree and got it returned it to its nest. I remember also being heartbroken when I was told that the mother bird wouldn’t care for it anymore because we had handled her chick. Decades later I would be relieved to know that this was just a myth. This memory and countless others are foundational to me. I’m terrified by the idea that one day, I might not be able to recall it.

All that God manifested through creation, in His unfathomable wisdom, is beautiful in some true way; whether it be the rings of Saturn or the rings of a tree, the eyes of a housefly or the eye of a hurricane. It’s not always simple to understand, nor to appreciate, but our minds can comprehend its intrinsic beauty on some level. Why? Because we have incomparably rational minds.