On June 26, 2016, at the initiative of Rev. Father Ararat Gumbalyan, Pastor of Armenian community in Adjara, Guria and Imereti; an Ecumenical Service and Peace Prayer was held in the Surb Prkich Church (Saint Savior) in Batumi. The joint prayer was attended by Father Gabriel Bragantini, Pastor of the Roman Catholic Church. A joint service was conducted and Peace Prayer was raised, with the participation of the Pastors of both churches, the clergy and many faithful, as an answer to the Ecumenical Service under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; and Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church; which had been held in the Republic Square of Yerevan.

During the joint prayer, passages and prayers from the Holy Bible were read, as well as church hymns were sung.

The Pastors of both churches conveyed their blessings to the attendees, raising their plea towards Heaven for establishment of peace in the world and for a secure and prosperous life for children, teenagers, women, and elderly in different corners of the world, of different nationalities, religions and confessions; they called upon Christians to love one another, which will lead to brotherly love and cooperation of the Churches with fruitful results.

Pastor of the Surb Prkich Church (Saint Savior) in Batumi and Pastor of the Roman-Catholic Church exchanged gifts – replicas of the icons, which will find their honorable place in the local Armenian and Roman-Catholic Churches. Following the joint service and Peace Prayer, Rev. Fr. Ararat Gumbalyan in the company of Father Gabriel Bragantini and accompanying him clergy paid a visit to the Alexander Mantashev Educational Cultural Youth Center. They toured the Center and learned about its activities, both Fathers made a suggestion to jointly organize events.