Co-founder of the Armenian Lacrosse Federation Johnny Mouradian believes that attending church is not only about faith, but also about preserving Armenian identity and passing it on to future generations.
“Sport is a good way to connect people, and if we can use sports to reconnect families and athletes with the church, that will be great. And for those who are already connected, bring another Armenian friend, because there are several people who are already connected with the church. Just remember that your friend can go with you. Your Armenian friend can go with you. So, on Sunday, take them to the church where you go. We are connecting people with the church through sports,” says Johnny Mouradian, co-founder of the Armenian Lacrosse Federation, during an interview with Aravot.am in Yerevan.
Mr. Mouradian is currently on a 12-day road trip across Armenia, visiting 12 remarkable locations and sharing 12 daily Bible-reading videos across all six Armenian Lacrosse social media platforms from August 11 through August 22, 2026. The second annual Armenian Sixes Lacrosse Championships is also being held in Armenia during his visit.
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Each day, Coach Johnny visits a new location in Armenia and shares a short, under-one-minute Bible reading video from that site. His goal is simple: to inspire Armenians to bring a friend or family member to church-not only this Sunday, but every Sunday.
As part of his journey through Armenia, Mr. Mouradian during the first 2 days visited some of Yerevan’s most significant cultural and historical sites, including the Matenadaran, the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, and the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute at Tsitsernakaberd.
Johnny Mouradian, whose Armenian baptismal name is Mkrtich Mouradian, was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. He now lives in Florida. His father was Armenian and came from Western Armenia. Mouradian grew up just three houses away from the Armenian church in St. Catharines. He grew up playing lacrosse and ice hockey and became a talented player in both sports. He also played for the Canadian national lacrosse team and, beginning in 1978, served as a coach with the national team for many years. As a young boy, one of his dreams was to become a priest.
Coach Johnny remembers his childhood Armenian community in St. Catharines fondly. He recalled growing up only three houses away from the church and spending much of his childhood there. He would take his lacrosse stick and ball to the church and bounce the ball against the church wall to practice catching and throwing.
His father was a church steward who cut the grass, looked after the church, and opened it in the evenings so that the men of the community could gather and spend time together in the church auditorium.
The church is still there in St. Catharines. When Mr. Mouradian recently returned to the city, he walked from his childhood home to the church, retracing a familiar path from his youth.
Returning to the church brought back many memories, but it also made him reflect on the changes in the Armenian community. He observed that, as in many Armenian churches, people still come in large numbers for Christmas and community picnics, but regular Sunday attendance has declined. Because the parish has only one priest who serves another city as well, services in St. Catharines are held every other Sunday.
Despite these changes, Mr. Mouradian said that returning to the church was a meaningful experience. His memories of growing up in the Armenian church remain an important part of his faith and identity.
Johnny Mouradian was the main driving force behind bringing lacrosse to Armenia. He has extensive experience in the sport at virtually every level, from middle and high school to college, professional, and national teams, in both field and box lacrosse.
He also spoke about the role Fr Shnork Souin played in strengthening his own connection to the church. According to coach Johnny, Fr Souin encouraged him to attend church more often and helped him become more deeply connected to his faith. Although Mr. Mouradian had never truly been away from the church, he said that he now attends more regularly and feels more connected.
Coach Johnny explained that the story of Armenian Lacrosse began many years ago, shortly after Armenia regained its independence, when he first travelled to the country with the Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia. During that visit, they brought lacrosse sticks and balls, stayed with a family in the village of Ararat, travelled around the country, and participated in community service projects. It was during that trip that they first imagined that, one day, they would bring lacrosse to Armenia.
About ten years later, Fr. Souin experienced serious heart problems and needed a heart transplant. During this difficult period, he became acquainted with Fr Hetum Tarverdyan, who serves at Akhtala Monastery. When Fr Souin told him that he was waiting for a heart transplant, Fr Hetum promised to pray for him and explained that Akhtala Monastery was known as a place of miracles.
That Sunday, Fr Hetum prayed for Fr Souin during liturgy at Akhtala. Only an hour after liturgy, while Fr Souin was in the United States, he received a call informing him that a heart had become available for his transplant. Fr Souin received the transplant and recovered.
For Mr Mouradian, this experience became a powerful reminder of the importance of faith and of the miracles that can come through prayer.
In 2022, following his recovery, Fr Souin was able to return to Armenia. He visited Akhtala and met Fr Hetum in person. When Fr Souin returned from Armenia, he contacted Mr Mouradian and asked whether he was ready to finally begin bringing lacrosse to Armenia. Mouradian agreed, and together they began raising funds and preparing for their first program.
In 2023, they launched their first lacrosse program in partnership with M.A.M. Educational Movement, an organization that provides opportunities for young girls to participate in football, basketball, and other team sports. Together, they organized camps and community clean-up activities, combining sports with community engagement and service.
Since 2024, the program has continued to grow and now reaches nine communities and nine partner organizations. Each team includes more than 20 young boys and girls who have the opportunity to learn and play lacrosse.
What began as an idea during an early visit to Armenia eventually became a reality following Fr Souin’s recovery, bringing together sport, community service, faith, and Armenian identity.
Mr Mouradian told me that he first met Khachkar Studios through Fr Souin and that the experience was very educational for him. He was particularly impressed by their research on church attendance. As he explained, Armenians often attend church for special occasions, when churches are usually crowded. This can create the impression that there is strong attendance every Sunday, but the research shows that regular attendance is much lower than many people realize.
For Mouradian, this highlighted the urgent need to reconnect with the Armenian Church. He reflected on the history of Armenian communities around the world and the sacrifices their ancestors made to establish churches wherever they settled.
“They sacrificed, they raised money, they had to build a church, and they did it for us, for the next generation. So we can’t let them down. Because if we don’t go to church, then churches will be closed, and the next step will be that we lose our heritage and identity,” says coach Johnny.
He believes that attending church is not only about faith, but also about preserving Armenian identity and passing it on to future generations.
He also described how this connection to the church has developed through the Armenian Lacrosse program. According to Mr Mouradian, the players and their families are very happy that the program is helping connect their children to the Armenian Church.
Many of the families have one Armenian parent and one non-Armenian parent. Mr Mouradian noted that it is often the mother who takes the children to church and helps maintain their connection to the Armenian faith and culture. He emphasized the importance of women between the ages of 18 and 29, whom he sees as an especially important group in maintaining the connection to the Armenian Church for future generations.
He also shared some encouraging experiences among the male players. Some players in their mid-to-late twenties, he explained, have unexpectedly become interested in attending the Armenian Church and have expressed a desire to marry Armenian women. For coach Johnny, these experiences demonstrate how sport can become a pathway for young Armenians to reconnect with their faith, culture, and community.
Looking ahead, Mr Mouradian said that when the team returns to the United States and Canada, they want to connect with other Armenian sports communities, including basketball, soccer, and other athletic programs. They hope to reach Armenian athletes and sports organizations and invite them to become part of the broader movement.
For coach Johnny, sport is much more than a game. It is a powerful way to bring people and families together. Through Armenian Lacrosse, he hopes to create not only athletic opportunities, but also stronger connections to the Armenian Church, Armenian heritage, culture, and identity.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
