On June 25, 13 altar servers representing parishes from the Eastern Diocese and one from Canada took part in the first-ever St. Nersess Deacons’ Training Program in the Old City of Jerusalem. Under the leadership of Fr. Daniel Findikyan and Fr. Daniel Karadjian, the 13 young men (including our own Sdn. Alex Calikyan and Brandon Ajamian), spent their days in the Armenian monastery, made pilgrimages to the holy sites, including visits to the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was lain before His Resurrection, the Church of the Holy Nativity where He was born of the Virgin Mary and many others. During their two weeks in the Holy Land, the young men learned about the importance of reverence and fellowship within our community – a message they hope to spread to their own parishes.