Once again, a Holy Mass was served at the Catholic Church in the Dutch city of Heerhugowaard and was followed by a commemorative event dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

In the beginning, priest of the Holy Spirit Church of Amsterdam, Father Taron Tadevosyan talked about the successes and the achievements that the Armenians had made in spite of the losses that they had suffered during the years of the Armenian Genocide and the role of the Armenian Church, the Diary of the Netherlands reports to Hayern Aysor.

Afterwards, Vigen Sargsyan gave a speech in which he briefly presented the history of the first genocide of the 20^th century and the latest political developments in the process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Nairi Hakobyan talked about the Turks’ liability for the Armenian Genocide.

The event included performances of Komitas’s songs “Hov Arek” and “Krunk” by Lilit Arakelyan and Margarit Manukyan.

The gathered also heard the poems of Gevorg Emin, William Saroyan, Siamanto and Sona Arshunetsi read by Anushavan Kirakosyan, Vigen Sargsyan and Susanna Harutyunyan.

The children of the community also performed during the event. Valentina Beglaryan performed a song on the violin.

Vicar of the Patriarchal Delegate of Western Europe, Archimandrite Serovbe Isakhanyan’s speech was especially moving and influential.

“The history of the Armenian people didn’t end in 1915. It continues since we remain loyal to our Church, and our children speak in Armenian. They can’t kill us because our nation won’t die. In the future we will meet in Van and Sasun. We have to keep this in mind, preserve our faith and language because we need to preserve the Armenian identity abroad,” the Holy Father said.

In her speech, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Netherlands Dzyunik Aghajanyan mentioned the importance of historical memory for a nation’s survival.

After the united prayer to God, the gathered participated in a funeral banquet in memory of the innocent victims.