St Mary Armenian Apostolic Church and Hagop Karageouzian

Anie Kazandjian: The first stop for most of the refugees was the St, according to CTV. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, where they attended a mass before meeting with community members who sponsored them. "Bless this country," said Hagop Karageouzian, as he waited for the service to start in the crowded church. Most of the 163 refugees who arrived late Thursday on the first of several government flights are Christians who fled the war and have spent the last few years in Lebanon. Karageouzian and his wife, Ello, were sponsored by his cousin, Anie Kazandjian, who lives north of the city in Stoufville, Ont. He said his family fled the northern Syrian city of Aleppo because they feared death at the hands of hardline Islamist rebels and jihadist militants. The couple broke down earlier Friday when they met Kazandjian -- the last time they saw each other was more than two decades ago. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," Karageouzian said to his cousin repeatedly. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.