Catholic Church, Tbilisi, Georgia © Onnik James Krikorian 2013
One thing I like about Georgia is its diversity. Even though over 80 percent of the population is ethnic Georgian — albeit with diversity even among themselves and an incredibly strong culture — ethnic Azeris at 6.5 percent of the population and ethnic Armenians at 5.7 percent are the two largest minority communities.
So, when Molly Corso, a journalist based in Tbilisi and currently researching an article on Catholic Armenians in Georgia, sent out the following message I was naturally interested.
A very active Armenian Catholic priest in Tbilisi is looking for a native English speaker to speak with children during the church’s Saturday youth group. It is a cool group of people, who work with Armenian youth, teaching them music, arts and crafts, and Armenian language. The children know some English and he would like give them the chance to speak with a native.
Anyway, if you are interested or know of someone who might be, please let me know off list.
Maybe I should make it my New Year’s Resolution to change that in 2014.
About 10 years ago I had come across pockets of Catholic Armenians in Georgia’s Samtske-Javakheti region and in 2007 I also wrote an article on the return of the Mekhitarist Fathers, Catholic Monks who were exiled from Armenia centuries ago. As Armenians are mainly Apostolic Christian, the idea of documenting Armenian Catholics, a “minority within a minority” as Molly put it, was particularly interesting.
Beginning in the late 1920s, persecution caused many Armenian Catholics to flee their homeland in order to settle in Georgia and Ukraine. In 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Bishop of Rome, Pope John Paul II merged the churches in Georgia and Ukraine with those in Armenia, creating a new eparchy of Armenia and Eastern Europe. A small seminary was established in Gyumri, Armenia, during 1994; there candidates for the Priesthood engage in basic studies before moving to the Pontifical College of the Armenians (established 1885) in Rome where they pursue philosophy and theology. At the same time Catholic Armenians in Georgia de facto entered the newly formed Eastern European Diocese, which was formed in 1991, with its residence in Gyumri. The city was not chosen by chance. Most of the Catholic Armenians live in the northern parts of the Armenia. This has become a kind of basis for fence-mending with the coreligionists on the other side of the border. Today Catholic Armenians of Samtskhe-Javakhq live together in Akhaltsikhe and in the nearby villages, as well as in the regions of Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda. The communities of the last two regions, which are mainly rural, are on rather distant territories, but the most important interlink is the historical memory about Catholicism.
Moreover, by helping out with the kids’ English, I could also hopefully give something back. So, today I arranged to meet Molly and visit the priest in a house, complete with chapel, where Armenian kids also receive extra-curricular education. Although numbers are unclear, as many as 100 people apparently visit the house when there’s a service.
Up to 70 kids attend classes.
Armenian Catholic Church Service, Tbilisi, Georgia © Onnik James Krikorian 2013
Only spent about 45 minutes there discussing my first English-language class next Saturday, but also managed to find about 20 minutes to take a few pics. Naturally, there will be more will come, but in the meantime if anyone else is interested in helping out with native language English classes or practical sessions get in touch and I’ll connect you to the relevant people.
And talking of minorities in Georgia, after holding many workshops on new and social media for Georgian journalists and civil society activists, sometimes with the occasional minority participant among them, I’ll be holding two specifically for minorities in the next two months. Really looking forward to that too.
Tbilisi, Georgia © Onnik James Krikorian 2013
