Second Sunday of December is Cathia Hamparian Children’s Memorial Candle Lighting which started with Fr Vazken Movsesian and In His Shoes Ministry 26 years ago, in loving memory of Cathia, in conjunction with The Compassionate Friends annual event. This year, we will continue the tradition with a new and unique way to honor our children, our shining stars. To accommodate the many people around the globe who suffer the tragic loss of children, we will host this year’s Candle Lighting virtually on-line. Epostle.net, the electronic ministry of the Western Diocese, has been developing spaces for sacred gatherings, educational platforms and now to console and harbor the hurt of the people. On Sunday December 10, visit http://www.Epostle.net/metaverse   at 7:00p.m. your local time anywhere in the World. You will be entering the “Cathia’s Children’s Memorial Space”. Walk the Gallery, watch the slide presentation from years past, and reminisce. 

The Memorial has been built around a virtual model of the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Artsakh, as a reminder of the children, life and land that was lost this year with the atrocities in Nagorno Karabakh. Accordingly, there is a child sponsorship program which is being launched today.

As Armenians, we lost Artsakh after months of being under siege. About 120,000 were forcefully displaced and are now in Armenia in very dire and difficult situation. As bereaved parents, or any caring human being, we can make a difference in the life of a child. With Hovnan Srpazan’s blessings and Fr Vazken’s initiative, we are collaborating with New Bird’s Nest director, Zabelle Berberian, who had started Sponsor a Child program in Armenia after the 2020 war and is continuing with today’s Artsakh families who need our unwavering support to survive and start a life, after being forced to leave everything with barely any belongings.

By Sponsoring a Child, you will be committing to donate $100 a month per child for a minimum of 6 months up to 1 year. You can sponsor two children from the same family or one child only. Below are children you can sponsor. Once you decide on a child, please fill the form, and email it to Cathia’s mom, Maria Hamparian at 626.826.7833 or forcathia@aol.com. You can make the first donation payment at the https://epostle.net/ website.