The Armenia Catholic st Michael’s Church

The first Armenian Catholic Church in Kessab was established by the Fathers of the Andonian Order in 1861, and was consecrated to the Virgin Mary.  Since 1904, some Latin Franciscan monks settled in Kessab and established the church of mother Mary in Baghjaghaz.  In 1925, they built the St. Michael church in Kessab.  The Latin monks continued to serve in kessab until 1946. After that they backed out of Kessab and Baghjaghaz and handed their churches and schools over to the Armenian catholic community. The Armenian catholic community today obtains the St. Michael Church in Kessab, the assumption of Mary’s Church in Baghjaghaz and the St. Mary’s sanctuary in Kradouran, which is known as geghetsig.