On June 18, 2017, in the Saint Etchmiadzin Church in Tbilisi, under the presidency of His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, with the participation of Rev. Father Virap Ghazaryan and the clergy, following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, certificates were granted to the students of 2016/2017 academic year from the “Saint Gregory of Narek” Saturday school and the “Saint Yeghia” Sunday school. Among those attending were First Secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Georgia, Artur Sargsyan; Counselor Artak Grabski, the one-day Armenian school students, their parents and the faithful. Eugenia Markosyan, Director of the Educational Department of the Diocese, congratulated the attendees on the Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, and presented 38 graduates of the one-day Armenian school, who successfully had completed two-year course in Armenian language and history, as well as colloquial Armenian course. The Director of the Educational department of the Diocese, with the blessings of the Diocesan Primate, handed out certificates to the students.

Students of the both schools, speaking fluent Armenian, with clear and correct pronunciation, expressed their gratitude to the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia and the teachers for the chance to learn Armenian language, and bringing them closer to their roots. The graduates recited poetry in Armenian to the sounds of warm rounds of applause from the audience. Diplomat Artur Sargsyan congratulated the graduates and expressed appreciation to the Diocesan Headquarters and the Educational Department.

The Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, extended his message of blessing to the attendees. The Bishop praised Eugenia Markosyan, Director of the Educational Department of the Diocese, teachers Tamara Gaboyan, Roza Zohrabyan and Revik Karapetyan, Deacon Gevork Antonyan (Dean of the Center), for their dedication to bring many children of Armenian nation back to their roots. The Diocesan Primate told the students that they should be proud of their identity and be close to the Armenian Church.

One-day schools, supported by the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Holy Church in Georgia, are aimed at the preservation of the Armenian language in the community and ensuring the teaching of the Armenian nation’s and Armenian Church’s history. In addition to the “Saint Yeghia” Sunday school, founded 20 years ago by the greatly lamented, Archbishop Gevorg Seraydaryan, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, there are Sunday schools at the Alexander Mantashev Educational Cultural and Youth Center in Batumi, the Surb Khach (Holy Cross) Church in Akhalkaklaki (Samtskhe-Javakheti’s General Prelacy), “the Rafael Javakh” Cultural Educational and Youth Center in Ninotsminda and the St.Gregory of Narek Educational, Cultural, Youth and Spiritual Center in Rustavi, currently operational with the support of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.