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GRANITE CITY CHURCH RAISES MONEY FOR ARMENIANS IN SYRIAN CONFLICT
STL Journal
Oct 8 2012
MO
Although the fighting is a continent away, the members of a Granite
City church have raised close to $3,000 for relief efforts to help
fellow Armenians in war-torn Syria.
"We're not in any way involved in the political side of this. This
is simply a rescue and relief mission to help our Syrian brothers
and sisters," said Rev. Stephan Baljian, pastor of St. Gregory the
Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church. "In the end, whoever ends up
winning the conflict, there could be repercussions for the Armenians.
Our church or our prelacy has been very adamant in making sure we
drive relief efforts for Syrian Armenians."
In addition to asking for donations on Sundays as directed by the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America's central authority in New York,
Baljian and his church held a walkathon together with the Armenian
Relief Society of Granite City Sept. 29. About 20 people attended
the event, according to Baljian.
While there are currently no plans for further fundraising efforts,
Baljian and his community have not ruled out holding more events if
the conflict continues.
Syria is home to a large population of ethnic Armenians, Baljian
explained, due to its position geographically and historically. While
Armenians have roots in the country dating back to the early Middle
Ages, the current Armenian population in Syrian cities such as Aleppo
traces its many modern ties back to the 1915 deportation and forced
migrations of Armenians from Turkey. The country also served as a
jumping off point for Armenians who later emigrated around the globe.
The Granite City efforts are part of a national effort of what Baljian
called the "Armenian Diaspora" to support those in the war-zone. The
Armenian presence in the Granite City area can be traced to the 19th
Century when Armenians came to work in the area's steel mills. St.
Gregory currently has about 70 members and 70-75 active families from
throughout the St. Louis region.
"Sometimes it was a challenge for me to get across to our gentrified
Armenian community here, who have been here three or four generations,"
Baljian said. "Syria may seem like a very far, distant corner of
the world that we shouldn't care about, but it's about 100 percent
certain that someone close to you - a great-grandparent or someone
that you are related to - went through ... a refugee camp in Syria
or was helped by an Arab there."
http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/illinois/news/granite-city-church-raises-money-for-armenians-in-syrian-conflict/article_08bb1d7d-c4f9-5450-9e35-a1c2c70f0701.html
STL Journal
Oct 8 2012
MO
Although the fighting is a continent away, the members of a Granite
City church have raised close to $3,000 for relief efforts to help
fellow Armenians in war-torn Syria.
"We're not in any way involved in the political side of this. This
is simply a rescue and relief mission to help our Syrian brothers
and sisters," said Rev. Stephan Baljian, pastor of St. Gregory the
Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church. "In the end, whoever ends up
winning the conflict, there could be repercussions for the Armenians.
Our church or our prelacy has been very adamant in making sure we
drive relief efforts for Syrian Armenians."
In addition to asking for donations on Sundays as directed by the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America's central authority in New York,
Baljian and his church held a walkathon together with the Armenian
Relief Society of Granite City Sept. 29. About 20 people attended
the event, according to Baljian.
While there are currently no plans for further fundraising efforts,
Baljian and his community have not ruled out holding more events if
the conflict continues.
Syria is home to a large population of ethnic Armenians, Baljian
explained, due to its position geographically and historically. While
Armenians have roots in the country dating back to the early Middle
Ages, the current Armenian population in Syrian cities such as Aleppo
traces its many modern ties back to the 1915 deportation and forced
migrations of Armenians from Turkey. The country also served as a
jumping off point for Armenians who later emigrated around the globe.
The Granite City efforts are part of a national effort of what Baljian
called the "Armenian Diaspora" to support those in the war-zone. The
Armenian presence in the Granite City area can be traced to the 19th
Century when Armenians came to work in the area's steel mills. St.
Gregory currently has about 70 members and 70-75 active families from
throughout the St. Louis region.
"Sometimes it was a challenge for me to get across to our gentrified
Armenian community here, who have been here three or four generations,"
Baljian said. "Syria may seem like a very far, distant corner of
the world that we shouldn't care about, but it's about 100 percent
certain that someone close to you - a great-grandparent or someone
that you are related to - went through ... a refugee camp in Syria
or was helped by an Arab there."
http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/illinois/news/granite-city-church-raises-money-for-armenians-in-syrian-conflict/article_08bb1d7d-c4f9-5450-9e35-a1c2c70f0701.html