St. John Armenian Church of San Francisco Helps Provide Home for Family of Fallen Artsakh Hero
Two families from Gishi, Artsakh receive permanent homes in Armenia, bringing Lorik Humanitarian Fund’s housing program to 15 families, including seven families of fallen servicemen
The Abgaryan family’s new home was made possible through a $20,000 contribution from St. John Armenian Church of San Francisco to Lorik Humanitarian Fund, providing a permanent home in Etchmiadzin for the widow and four children of fallen Artsakh serviceman Armo Abgaryan.
The home stands as a tangible achievement of the St. John community and what can be accomplished when Armenian communities in the Diaspora come together to support families rebuilding after their forced displacement from Artsakh.
Armo Abgaryan and Gagik Balayan were both from the village of Gishi in the Martuni region of Artsakh. Both were killed in the same attack in June 2023.
Lorik’s relationship with the Abgaryan and Balayan families began in Artsakh in 2023. Following the deaths of Armo and Gagik, Lorik Fund stood with both families during their funerals in Martuni and provided assistance in the months that followed.
Their graves remain in Artsakh today.
Three months later, Azerbaijan’s September 2023 attack forced the Armenian population of Artsakh from their homeland. The Abgaryan and Balayan families were among those forcibly displaced.
Three years later, Lorik Fund was with both families again, this time in Armenia and for a very different reason: to open the doors to permanent homes of their own.
A New Home on Armo’s Birthday
The timing of the Abgaryan family’s home blessing carried particular meaning.
September 2 was Artsakh Independence Day. September 3 would have been Armo Abgaryan’s birthday.
On the morning of September 3, Lorik joined Armo’s wife and four children and Der Hovannes, who served at Dadivank Monastery in Artsakh, at the Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan.
Together, we laid flowers at the Artsakh Memorial and visited the gravesites of other fallen Armenian servicemen, remembering Armo and honoring those who gave their lives defending their homeland.
Later that day, we traveled with the family to Etchmiadzin, where Armo’s wife and children opened the door to their new permanent home.
There, Der Hovannes blessed the Abgaryan family’s new home. For a family from Artsakh, having their home blessed by a priest whose own spiritual service is so deeply connected to Artsakh gave the moment particular meaning.
The day began with remembrance and ended with a new beginning. On Armo’s birthday, his family gathered in a home that will now be theirs.
“I was in Martuni when Armo was killed and attended his funeral there. Three years later, we began his birthday at Yerablur remembering him and ended the day standing with his wife and children as Der Hovannes blessed their new home,” said Lorik Humanitarian Fund President Shunt Jarchafjian. “There was a lot of emotion in that moment. We cannot replace what this family lost, but we can stand beside them as they rebuild.”
The Abgaryan family’s new home stands as a lasting result of St. John Armenian Church of San Francisco’s support. The church’s contribution went beyond providing immediate assistance. It helped give a widow and four children the security of a permanent home and a place to rebuild their lives.
A Second Home, A Shared Story
During the same visit to Armenia, Lorik also gathered with the family of Gagik Balayan for the blessing of their newly completed home.
Gagik and Armo came from the same village of Gishi and were killed in the same azerbaijani attack in June 2023. Lorik had also assisted Gagik’s family following his death and remained connected with them after their forced displacement from Artsakh.
For the Balayan family, Lorik provided renovation assistance that helped complete their permanent home in Armenia.
Their home was blessed by Der Andreas, who served at Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi before the forced displacement from Artsakh.
The two blessings brought together people whose lives remain deeply tied to Artsakh. Der Hovannes from Dadivank and Der Andreas from Ghazanchetsots stood with two families from Gishi, blessing the new homes where those families are now rebuilding their lives.
The families have been forcibly displaced from their homeland, but carry their faith, traditions and memories with them as they rebuild their lives in Armenia.
15 Permanent Homes
With the completion of these two projects, Lorik Humanitarian Fund has now provided 15 permanent homes for families forcibly displaced from Artsakh.
Seven of those 15 homes have been provided to families of fallen Armenian servicemen.
Lorik’s housing program is built around permanence. Rather than temporary housing assistance, the goal is to help families establish stable homes and put down roots again in Armenia.
The Abgaryan and Balayan families are also reminders that Lorik’s relationship with many of the families it serves did not begin with the forced displacement of September 2023. In this case, it began in Artsakh, during some of the most difficult days these families experienced, and has continued as they rebuild their lives in Armenia.
Lorik Humanitarian Fund extends its deep gratitude to St. John Armenian Church of San Francisco and its community for making the Abgaryan family’s home possible. Their contribution now has a permanent and visible result in Armenia: a home for the widow and four children of a fallen Artsakh serviceman.
Their support stands as an example of what can be accomplished when churches, organizations and communities throughout the Armenian Diaspora come together around a clear purpose. One community helped give one family a permanent home, and together, that same commitment can be multiplied across many more families.
For the Abgaryan and Balayan families, the blessing of their new homes marked not an end to their connection with Artsakh, but the beginning of a new chapter for their families in Armenia.
As these families rebuild their lives in Armenia, their connection to Artsakh remains. Providing permanent homes today does not diminish their right to their homeland, nor the continued pursuit of the right of Artsakh Armenians to return to their homes in safety and dignity.
Learn more about Lorik Humanitarian Fund’s housing program at LorikHF.org.
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