WATERTOWN — The Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) Seniors of St. James Church in Watertown welcomed 300 guests from across the Eastern Diocese for the 2026 ACYOA General Assembly and Sports Weekend.
Meeting over Memorial Day Weekend — May 22-25 — the annual youth event in Boston was stage for meeting new people as well as joy-filled reunions among friends.
Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan presided over the entire weekend, interacting with young church members and cheering them on in the sports competitions.
It began on Friday, May 22, with the ACYOA General Assembly, where Bishop Mesrop, clergy, and more than 60 youth delegates from local ACYOA chapters across the Eastern Diocese engaged each other in discussions about the Armenian Church, its mission, and the fruitful role played by youth and young adults in church life.
“This is a very meaningful year for ACYOA, marking the 80th anniversary of its founding,” he reflected in his remarks, invoking the blessed memory of his predecessor who established the group, Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan. “For eight decades, ACYOA has helped young Armenian Christians discover that the church is their home,”
“I see its impact every time I visit a parish,” he continued. “I witness all the alumni of ACYOA who are leading our Diocese today. ACYOA is a living testimony that when young people are loved, trusted, and invited to serve, the whole church becomes stronger.”
