Page 50 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

Long History in Brief 51

conditions. It purchased property in Antelias,
Lebanon from the American Relief for the
Near East, which, from 1922 to 1928, had
been using it to operate an Armenian or-
phanage. In a very short period of time, the
Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator and
a chapel in memory of the Armenian Geno-
cide martyrs were built on the property, and
a new seminary was founded. This initial
stage of settling the Catholicosate in Antelias
was followed by a number of initiatives aimed
at the re-invigoration of the internal life and
the missionary outreach of the Church.
The political parties and cultural, huma-
nitarian, and social organizations re-organ-
ized, prospered, and participated in com-
munity building. In some communities, anti-
Soviet and pro-Soviet trends generated inter-
nal tensions. However, the Armenian dias-
pora remained a fierce opponent of the Soviet
regime. The recognition of the Armenian
Genocide and reparation, known as the Ar-
menian Cause, became a top priority for the
diaspora. The Catholicosate of Cilicia, which
is the living symbol of the Armenian Geno-
cide, became a leading force in community
building, an avant-garde of the anti-Soviet
struggle, and a strong advocate for the
legitimate rights of the Armenian people.