Armenian Argentines
Armenian Argentines (Armenian: Հայերն Արգենտինայում, romanized: Hayern Argentinayum; Spanish: Armenios en Argentina) are ethnic Armenians who live in Argentina. Estimates vary, an 150,000 people of Armenian ancestry live in the country, forming one of the largest groups in the Armenian diaspora worldwide.[1][2] The core of the population came from Cilicia, Syria and Lebanon.
Religious life[edit]
Prior to the establishment of the church, the Armenians of Buenos Aires congregated on Sunday afternoons at a coffee shop on 25 de Mayo Street which was owned by a Jewish man from Smyrna. The coffee shop became such an established "center" for the Armenians that they used its address to receive mail from their family and friends from abroad.[5] When more Armenian refugees arrived in Buenos Aires, the community managed to rent the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, an Anglican church which was near the coffee shop. Two Englishmen delivered sermons translated from Armenian by Haig Moscofian.
After the arrival of the first priest of the community Der Hayr Barasatian, the community became more religiously organized.[3] After the Armenian community in Buenos Aires faced numerous financial crises, it constructed its first Armenian church in 1938.[3]
Currently, the Armenian community of Argentina has nine Armenian churches.[6]