Light in Yerevan: Visiting the New Arev Down Syndrome Center

Epostle steps inside the new home of Fr. Gregor Gregoryan’s Arev Down Syndrome Center

Epostle team member Vahe Stambultsyan recently visited the new space of the Arev Down Syndrome Center in Yerevan, and returned deeply moved by what he witnessed. The new center is beautiful, the energy is joyful, and the work being done there is nothing short of remarkable.

The Arev Center was founded by Fr. Gregor Gregoryan to serve a community that would otherwise be tragically forgotten and abandoned. When Fr. Gregor and his wife were blessed with their son Monte, they were shocked to discover that there were no support services in Armenia,  neither for their child nor for his parents. Rather than accept this, Fr. Gregor built what was missing. Through the Arev Down Syndrome Center, families came out of the shadows, and a new community was born.

Today, children gather at the Center for educational programs that include counseling sessions with psychologists, occupational therapists, teachers, and caregivers. Behind it all is Fr. Gregor himself ,  an incredible man of faith, always in awe of the wonders of God, whose love and energy fill every corner of the Center.

That spirit was on full display during an earlier Epostle visit to Yerevan, when Fr. Vazken invited Raffi Mikaelian, conductor at the Opera House, to join the team at the Arev Center. The children performed a song on bells,  and another bell rang for Maestro Raffi, who invited them to perform with the Paros group at the Opera House. To the thunderous applause of the audience and the joyous tears of their parents, another miracle took place.

The Arev Center is one of the Outreach projects supported by the Epostle ministry. In this video, Vahe takes us through the Center’s new space ,  a testament to what faith, love, and one family’s determination can build.